XBook 6 Introduction to the Underground
by Leen713
Summary: The Malloy family is stuck playing host to some unexpected guests and they may all learn the true meaning of disco. X-over with the 10th Kingdom, et al. COMPLETE!
1. Prologue

X-Book 6: Introduction to the Underground

Prologue:

_New York City__._

_ The Big Apple._

_ The City that Never Sleeps..._

For some reason, it had been haunting Mary Sloane's dreams tonight.

It was May, and the weather had been quickly getting warmer. So, Mary had taken to sleeping with her bedroom windows open. That was why, when she awoke the first time to the sound of screeching tires, she figured the noise must have come from outside.

The second time she woke up, her dream had been more vivid. She had been standing among a long stretch of trees, staring up at the sky...and the stars had seemed very close. She realized quickly she was looking up at a city skyline, and she once again could hear the sounds of traffic nearby. Then, a sound like a deep growl had made her jerk awake.

Mary had frowned as she sat motionless in her bed, almost expecting to see some large animal in her room...or the sneering face of a formless demon. However, the mansion around her had been quiet, and she had no sense of danger in the waking world. She had laid her head back on her pillow, and decided she must be having some kind of strange nightmares instead of a true vision. After all, the images did not make any sense.

Trees...skyscrapers...flashing lights...shoes...a mutli-colored dance floor...

She had shaken her head and sighed with strange amusement as she fell back to sleep. Even the danger in the dream felt almost...well..._not dangerous_...

Now, she sat in her bed again, wide awake for a third time, and tried to decipher what these dreams meant...if they meant anything at all.

Her last dream of the night had been the most confusing of all. She closed her eyes and focused on her breathing, attempting to see the vision in her head again, and hopefully be able to understand it.

_There were trees...and that strange grumbling, growling voice..._

_ There were shoes...piles of them...plundered but not worn..._

_ There was the sound of traffic humming through a darkened city..._

_ The lights of the buildings twinkling like stars fallen to earth..._

_ There was horrible, gleeful laughter...there was the sound of applause..._

_ There were flashing lights...moving feet...and that sound..._

_ ...a strange sound...among the traffic...among the terrible laughing, growling voices..._

_ ...it was hard to hear..._

_ ... it was becoming clearer..._

_ ...it was..._

_ ...it was..._

Mary opened her eyes wide, and spoke aloud.

"...Disco?"

--------------------------

Author's note: Welcome to book 6. :-) Once again this story will be filled with lots of crossovers, lots of strange music, and, this time, lots of the Brotherhood. I'll throw in notes about crossover characters when they come along. (Hint: Villian; Hint: 10th Kingdom; Hint: BeeGees) For now, it's really late and the disco is starting to get to me... %-P


	2. Chpt 1: Resident Mechanic

Disclaimer:  I always forget to do this!  Arg... I still own nothing...just like last time.  At least, nothing in regards to the X-men or any other story-verse I pull into this mess.  For readers just joining in, this is part six in a longer crossover series set in the X-Men the movie universe, so if you see someone you don't know, they're probably either a new character or a crossover.  :-)  I like to think of it as a multiverse smoothy (this time...with extra Toad!  Yay!)

            --------------------------

Chapter One:

            _Click click click..._

_            Click click click..._

_            Click click click..._

            The sharp noise echoed through the chamber that housed the Brotherhood's growing fleet of flying transports.  The area was vast, large enough to hold ten times the number of vehicles now stored there.  However, considering the current population of Erik Lensherr's fortressed island, the few helicopters and jets they had acquired more than served their present needs.

            Not that the resident mechanic ever ran out of maintenance work to keep him busy.

            _Click click click..._

            Toad twisted the wrench in his hand a few more times, making sure the last bolt on the small jet's hull was securely in place and then he let it drop noisily to the ground.  It hit the metallic floor with a loud clang, but it barely had time to settle before Toad's long tongue snatched another tool deftly from the ground.

            His face was twisted in a dark scowl, but it was not directed at anything in particular, least of all the machine he was clinging to.  It had just been an expression he had become accustom to wearing in his nearly two decades or so of life.  His mind was entirely occupied with his task at hand and it never wandered while he was working. 

            It had been something he had learned to do after coming to the island, how to give himself a sort of respite from his otherwise tumultuous psyche.  Aside from the rigorous training program Magneto had developed for him when he was young, working on the island's many machines and systems had been his only regular activity. 

            In training, in fighting, in killing, Toad used his memories and anger to push himself onward.  It had certainly been his own fury at the X-Men after Liberty Island that gave him the strength to pull himself out of the Hudson River. 

            In mechanics, one needed patience and focus to complete a task and do it well.  When he was younger, Toad dedicated himself entirely to Magneto and his cause, and the older mutant's words of approval were enough to keep him motivated to achieve.  Now, it was pretty much the same.  The tasks themselves were easier, but his intense dedication never wavered.

            Toad dropped the tool his had been using to the ground with the others, and scratched the left side of his face thoughtfully.  The jagged scar that ran down his jaw never really itched anymore, but it had been a habit he picked up when the burn from Storm's attack, now nearly two years earlier, had begun to heal.  Toad had been injured before, innumerable times in his youth and more than a few in his adulthood, but the burn had been the biggest bitch while it was healing.

            After a few moments of inspection, Toad leapt down to the ground, seemingly satisfied with the repairs on the small jet...for now...until he found another flaw that required immediate attention.  He pulled his thick goggles from his face and rubbed his eyes with his fingers.  He had no idea how long he had been working on the jet today.  He rarely wore a timepiece while he was on the island and, since the large bay doors were closed, he had no way to judge the passage of hours.

            Especially without Pyro around announcing to everyone when he planned to go to the mess and eat.  Breakfast...lunch...dinner...the kid's stomach was like clockwork.  Toad figured Pyro got into that habit at Xavier's school, three square meals delivered by the courteous staff each day promptly at the appropriate hours.  Toad had harassed the younger mutant a few times about his punctual appetite, but never with any real malice.  He could tell by the kid's face that he had not always had the luxury of regular meals (something a young man named Mortimer Toynbee had also come to appreciate from Magneto).

            Pyro had been gone almost a month now, and though he would never admit it, the Island was much less interesting without the kid around burning the place up all the time.  Even the Lady Deathstrike seemed a little put off by Pyro's absence, though she had not been present on the Island before Akalai Lake, when it had just been Magneto, Mystique and Toad...and occasionally Sabertooth, but he and Toad had never really been in each others good graces...if they had any good graces...

            Toad opened his eyes and glanced around the mostly empty cavern.  He had been preparing the large jet for departure.  Magneto had hinted that he planned to send Mystique and the Lady to New York City on a little check up mission to visit Pyro and his 'host' family.  Magneto had maintained weekly contact with the youngest member of the Brotherhood, for progress reports on his training...and his _other_ mission.

            _The Malloy family_, Toad though with a mix of apprehension and annoyance. 

            For the past month, everyone on the Island seemed to refer to the strange trio as one whole entity instead of by their individual names.  Looking back on the events that had introduced them to the Malloys, it was a wonder any of them had come out alive.

            _Sentinel_, the word had echoed in the minds of all the Brotherhood since their final showdown in Stryker's underground base.  However, even that great machine had been brought down (unintentionally) by the power of a mutant.  This victory had reaffirmed for the Brotherhood the primary motivation behind Magneto's work...._mutant domination was possible._

            The family with whom Pyro now resided was made up of three individuals.  The first was a man Magneto had known in the past, when he still held the title of Watcher in the Council, whose name was Sebastian Malloy.  After Sebastian had left Watcher training, for very obvious violations of the Council's laws, he eventually took up custody of his niece and nephew, who were the children of his brother and an infamous mutant known for her ability to start fires.

            The twins inherited the mutant gene from their parents and had their own gifts.  Jeremy Malloy, whom Toad knew by the nickname Sid, had the ability to mold and manipulate glass down to the smallest molecule, mastering the substance to the point that he could even use it to heal his own injuries (though, medically, the Lady had not been able to explain how).  Rebecca Malloy shared her mother's gift of fire, and even though she was able to generate heat and flames from her own body, her power functioned more as a defense mechanism than anything else.  It had been the trauma of a bullet wound that had drawn enough power from her mind to destroy the Sentinel, though it only took the smallest threat to spark the fire in her hands (as Toad had witnessed at the start of the Brotherhood's previous mission).

            Magneto had convinced Sebastian to allow Pyro to stay with them to aid in the boy's training.  Despite Sebastian's alienation from the Council, the twins were still 'watched' from time to time, and had access to sophisticated facilities where Pyro could learn to use his powers more effectively (and not burn down the Island while he did).

            However, Toad knew Magneto had another motive for allowing Pyro to stay in the city.  The boy was not only learning about his own powers, but the presence of other mutants around him as well.  Magneto was aware of a growing trend in most of the world's cities.  It had been something he had monitored quite easily when he was Erik Lensherr of the Watcher's Council.

            Mutants were gathering.  Mostly young men and women who have been turned out by their families for being what they are, but still mutants who were lost, on the run, and looking for answers.  In his younger years, the Council's great houses had often times taken in young people who had extraordinary powers, but once science established a genetic cause of their gifts, they were no longer considered _supernatural_ by the Council's standards.  Therefore, the groups of wandering mutants were forced to search for another haven.  And they found it in the _Underground_.

            For centuries, those with supernatural gifts had come together in secret, creating places of solace for those who were hunted...by Slayers or witch burners or otherwise.  When the mutant population began to grow, it was only natural for the _Underground _to embrace this wholly new generation as its own.  That had been one reason Charles Xavier had founded his school, to keep mutant children away from the _Underground_, and all the nasty demons and other baddies who lurked in those dark places.

            For Magneto, it had become the perfect means to search for mutants who may help strengthen the Brotherhood, and further the fight for mutants' rightful status above all humans _and_ those creatures who stalked through the innocent night.

            And who better to introduce these young mutants to the Brotherhood than someone their own age.  Pyro would go with the twins to the _Underground's_ clubs, coven houses and training facilities and he would do watching for Magneto, and report back on any prospective recruits.

            _Recruits_, Toad thought with more than a little disgust.  He understood why the Brotherhood had to increase their strength and their numbers, but he hated the idea of even more new mutants crowding the Island.  One Pyro he could deal with, but dozens like him?  This place was going to turn into a bloody circus.

            _No_, he thought, pulling his fingerless gloves back over his hands, _Magneto would keep them in order.  He would train them, just like he trained me.  He would make them understand the glory behind his plan.  And when everything was set, no human army on earth would be able to stand up to them._

            Toad thought about the Sentinel again and a wicked gleam came into his eyes.  He remembered the expressions on the faces of Stryker's men when Rebecca had begun to destroy the base.  She had not been entirely aware of her actions, but Toad's memories about the event had an eerie clarity. 

            The orange light of the flames, the incredible heat flowing out over the snowy floors, the human soldiers running in terror from their mutant foes, the X-Men turning tail and leaving as the Brotherhood remained until the end of the battle.  Magneto had considered it a victory and Toad accepted it as one, even if their original mission ended in an entirely different manner than Magneto had intended.

            As he began to gather up his equipment and move onto his next task, Toad heard his communicator chime as someone signaled for him.  He put the small device on his ear and answered the caller curtly.

            "This is Toad, over," he said in his heavy English accent.

            "Have you finished the repairs on the jet?" Magneto's voice asked simply.

            "It's ready," he replied, "All systems online and functioning."

            "Good work," Magneto said approvingly, "Please come over to the office then.  I need to discuss the upcoming mission with the team."

            Toad replied, "Right away.  Toad out."

            He stowed his equipment quickly and began to walk down to Magneto's main chamber.  Mystique and the Lady Deathstrike must be preparing to leave, and Toad felt a touch of pride about his work on the small aircraft, as he did whenever Magneto complimented his skill.

            Toad thought back again on the Sentinel and the mutant that had destroyed it.  When he was young, Toad had yearned for the sort of powers Rebecca Malloy possessed, power enough to destroy his enemies with barely a thought.  Wipe the sneering and disgusted expressions right off their faces.  The initial fascination he had with the firestarting mutant had faded quickly after he realized how hesitant she was to use her gifts.  It was disappointing really, to find a mutant with such power who was afraid to unleash it. 

            Perhaps Magneto's influence would change that in time.

            Toad moved through the circular tunnel leading to the smaller inner sanctum of the Island, and was greeted by his leader's approving nod.

            "Hello, Toad," he said, "I'm glad you were able to come so promptly.  I'm afraid there has been a slight change of plans to the upcoming mission."

            Toad crouched in his usual spot near one stony wall and regarded Magneto curiously.  Mystique was standing nearby, also watching Magneto as he spoke.  To Toad's surprise, the Lady Deathstrike was not present and he wondered why she had not been summoned to the mission's briefing.

            "You are both aware of the planned visit to New York to check up on young Pyro," Magneto said, "I know the original plan was to have the Lady accompany you, Mystique...however...other circumstances have arisen that require her immediate attention.  So, Toad, I would like you to join Mystique on this journey.  The goal remains the same...find out what Pyro has learned about the Underground and make note of any mutants he has encountered.  If possible, carry out reconnaissance in identified areas and take first hand accounts of any mutants and their powers.  Understood?"

            Toad and Mystique both nodded silently and Magneto smiled confidently.

            "We must start showing young mutants their true place in society," he said, "We must start teaching them the truth about the world...and how they...how _we_...will change it."

            Mystique echoed Magneto's smile and replied, "I'll take what I need to the jet.  We will contact you as soon as we arrive at the Malloy home."

            "Very well," he said and she gave him one final nod before heading out of the room.

            Toad watched her leave with a slight frown, and then glanced at Magneto.

            "D'you want me to run any more checks on the systems before I go?" Toad asked, surprised by the suddenness of his new mission.

            Magneto shook his head, "That won't be necessary.  I'm confident you have everything in working order.  And if any unforeseen problems occur, I'm sure the Pusher and I will be able to manage."

            "Oh...right then," Toad replied.  He had forgotten about the Pusher, the mutant named Paul whom they had rescued from Stryker and his Sentinel.  Magneto had been meeting with the mutant daily, teaching the Pusher about the world he had been locked out of for his entire life. 

            There had been others like him who had also escaped the blast and the Pusher seemed anxious to work with Magneto to find them.  He had sworn his allegiance to the Brotherhood and its cause, though it was apparent the Pusher's mutation was becoming problematic for his health.

            Reassured by the idea that Magneto would not be left alone on the Island, Toad leapt down to the metallic floor and began to walk toward the exit.

            "One more thing, Toad," his leader called before he reached the circular tunnel.

            Toad turned and waited as Magneto rose to his feet and approached him.  The older mutant had a strange expression on his face, and in his hand he held an electronic pad.  He was staring at it calmly, but Toad noticed an uncharacteristic melancholy on Magneto's face.

            "I have...a rather personal request to make of you," he said and regarded the short mutant somberly.

            Toad nodded, and waited for him to continue.

            "I'd like you to do some special reconnaissance for me," Magneto explained, "You will be accompanying Mystique when she investigates some of the Underground's locations.  She will be preoccupied with her own tasks, so I'd like you watch for...for certain _other_ mutants who may be present in the crowds..."

            Magneto handed Toad the hand held computer and the green mutant studied it carefully.  There were several names listed, each matched with a photograph and a caption describing their powers.  Haller, David Charles; Marko, Cain; Maximoff, Pietro; Maximoff, Wanda; Torrance, Daniel; McGee, Charlene...it continued on...

            "It is important, Mortimer," Magneto suddenly said, and Toad glanced up at him with wide eyes at the sound of his first name, "It is _very_ important to me...that we locate some of these individuals.  Even if you learn something about one of them, you may find a link to the rest.  I want you to report back _immediately_ if you see them or hear of them.  Understood?"

            Toad nodded curtly, still a little caught off guard by Magneto's strange attitude, but he had been given an order, and he would follow though.

            "_Immediately_," Toad repeated firmly, "Understood _completely_."

            Magneto put a hand on the younger mutant's shoulder.

            "I knew I could count on you, Toad," he said, and turned to head back to his desk.

            Toad moved quickly down the circular tunnel, back toward the front hanger.  He slipped the small computer into one of the many pockets on his long coat and made sure it was safely secured.  Magneto had given him a direct mission, and if Toad wondered why he had kept it secret from Mystique, the question left him quickly as his full attention locked on preparing to go to New York City.


	3. Chpt 2: Journeys to NYC

Chapter Two:

_Previous night..._

_Central Park__. A great forest in a great city. _

_ It was a peaceful night. The air was calm, the weather clear, and the few individuals who braved the trees after nightfall walked confidently in between the rows of tall metal lamps. There was a touch of dew covering the confined stretches of grass, and the city lights shone down over the trees like misplaced stars._

_ A perfect night in the city that never sleeps..._

_ ...or...almost perfect._

_ In one secluded area of the park, the ground began to tremble. Unless someone had been standing directly on the spot, they probably would not have noticed the strange vibration. However, they would have definitely seen the line of white light that shot up from the grass towards the sky._

_ The light expanded, and grew brighter, allowing the sun from another world to shine into the dark city as a door opened. Only a few individuals had seen that door before, and their stories would tell all about the lands beyond. However, this time, someone stepped out of the dimensional portal instead of into it._

_ The light spilling from the door was not shadowed by the invader, but the grass in front of it crunched under the weight of a footstep. Several other footsteps followed, slow and pacing, until a voice called out loudly._

_ "All clear!" the invader said with a grumbling roar, "Step though the door!"_

_ With that sharp order, a dozen more individuals stepped through the light. Their eyes were small and dark, their faces twisted into vicious sneers. Their long, blunted teeth jutted upward from their bottom jaws and they spoke in harsh, mostly insulting growls._

_ All in all, not a bad looking group...at least as Trolls go._

_ The trolls wandered around the area for a few minutes, until the portal of light closed. They all looked very relieved to be in the darkness again. Trolls tolerated light when they needed to, but most preferred shadows to sun._

_ Relish, king of the Trolls, appeared in a cloud of gold dust as he stepped out of his magic shoes. The others grumbled in approval at their leader, as he stepped forward and put his hands on his hips._

_ He drew in a harsh breath through his nose and sniffed the air. It did not smell like any forest he had been in before, and a cruel grin spread over his face._

_ "The __Tenth__Kingdom__..." Relish announced loudly, not sounding impressed though the others roared in triumph._

_ He turned to them, and spread his arms wide as if to embrace this entirely new world, but the look on his face said his intentions here were not amicable._

_ "My friends..." he hissed with glee. The Trolls waited in anticipation for their king's next words._

_ "Let's pillage."_

--------------------------

Back at Xavier's School for the Gifted...

Mary sat with her hands politely folded in her lap, as she waited for the Professor to respond. Several of the other X-Men were standing around the room, and Mary was not at all offended by the fact that they all looked ready to burst into laughter.

Professor Xavier sat quietly on the other side of his desk, quite perplexed by Mary's explanation of her latest vision.

"You say...you heard disco?" he asked respectfully, but the words sounded even more hysterical when said them in his learned and proper tone.

"Yeah..." Mary said and then sighed heavily before continuing, "I think it was 'Saturday Night Fever'..."

"Ah, yes...the Bee Gees," Xavier replied with a nod.

Bobby Drake choked back a chuckle and Scott smirked, though both were trying their best to keep their composure. Mary's previous visions had been invaluable over the past few months, but her dream from last night seemed too strange to be true.

Mary sighed again and shook her head, "I know how it sounds...but you did tell me to report any vision I thought was important...I guess it could have just been a dream..."

Xavier shook his head and smiled, "No, you did the right thing. After all, your visions don't always have a direct meaning. Do you believe this dream was significant?"

"I don't know..." she said with a shrug, "I know it was in New York City, that part was clear. And the feeling of menace around it. But the creatures in the dream...they weren't like the demon before. They were different. Dangerous...but not really that dangerous..." Mary threw up her hands in frustration, "I don't know. Trees, shoes, disco...it's so stupid..."

"Maybe not," Scott said with an apologetic smile, and then glanced at the Professor, "The Malloy family relocated to New York City, didn't they? Their home in Chicago had been destroyed."

Xavier nodded, and leaned his chin against his hand thoughtfully.

"Yes, they did," he replied, and paused a moment before glancing at Mary with a smile, "Have you ever been to New York?"

"No," she answered, shaking her head.

Xavier's eyes narrowed slightly, and his fingertips touched his temple. He concentrated for a moment, and then frowned. Mary and the others watched him curiously, until Xavier raised his eyes.

"They are living just outside of the city," he said, "And...They have a guest."

"Pyro?" Bobby asked uncomfortably and the Professor nodded.

"Perhaps it's time to pay Sebastian and his family a little visit," he said, and then smiled, "Mary...would you be interested in taking a short trip to the city?"

Mary blinked in surprise, "Me? Wouldn't it be better if someone else..."

Xavier shook his head somberly, "Unfortunately, Mr. Allerdyce...Pyro...did not part with us on the best of terms. It may be better to send someone whom he is not familiar with. Also, it would give you the opportunity to investigate your vision. You may be able to find some meaning there that you could not here in Westchester."

She sat for a moment and bit her lip anxiously. She had seen the city hundreds of time before, just like anyone who had been to the movies or owned a television set, but the idea of actually traveling there was a little daunting. She was from Random Small Town, Arizona (even Westchester seemed like a city to her) and knew less than nothing about navigating through urban areas.

"How would I get there?" she asked, unable to hide the anxiety in her voice. Xavier tilted his head thoughtfully and glanced at Scott.

"Mr. LeBeau was involved with the same abduction as Sebastian's niece, wasn't he?" the Professor asked.

Scott nodded, "Remy, Rebecca Malloy...and Toad...were taken by the Sentinel in Chicago."

"And Mr. LeBeau had not been present at the school when Pyro was," Xavier added, "Their interaction at the base at only been for a short time. Pyro may not be so averse to representatives from our school if they were not someone he knew well before he left."

"Remy probably would love the opportunity to get out of here for a while," Bobby said quickly, and Xavier nodded in agreement.

Remy LeBeau was not shy or subtle about flirting with the young women in the school, and Rogue was no exception, which explained Bobby's adamant support of sending the Cajun on a trip off campus.

"I'd feel better if I had someone with me," Mary agreed, and then added with a grin, "I won't need to keep him on a leash or anything, will I?"

Xavier actually laughed quietly, "No, I don't think so. Rest assured that Mr. LeBeau will be properly briefed before your departure."

--------------------------

"_New York City__!_" Gambit announced happily as he loaded a small suitcase into a small black car, "_Mon ami_, do you realize how close we will be to Atlantic City?"

"Yeah, only about a hundred miles," Scott replied with annoyance, "I'll be checking the odometer when you guys get back..."

Gambit looked excessively pained, "I would _never_ take advantage of the Professor's kindness. Remy will be nothing but a gentleman on this trip, _oui_?"

"_Oui,_" Scott mimicked the other man, and then regarded him seriously, "And let us know _immediately_ if you encounter any of the Brotherhood."

"Besides the boy?" Gambit asked curiously. Scott nodded, grimly accepting the fact that his former student was now one of Magneto's followers.

"You are expecting there to be trouble?" Gambit asked after a moment, and Scott shook his head noncommittally.

"I don't know," he replied, "Mary's dream was pretty cryptic. Just be prepared for anything."

Gambit shrugged and slammed the trunk on the black car shut.

"Don't worry, _ami_," he said with a grin, "Between her brains and my...um..._luck_...I don't think we'll have any problems. And anyway, Remy has no issues with the Brotherhood. _La Femme Bleue_...I would not mind seeing her again, no?"

Scott was not the least bit amused by Gambit's banter. He knew how deadly every member of the Brotherhood could be.

"Ready to head out?" Mary asked as she walked toward them.

She yelped in surprise as Gambit grabbed her by the hand and twirled her around.

"Of course, _chere_!" he announced grandly, "Let us go to the City that Never Sleeps!"

--------------------------

An hour later, Mary was sitting behind the steering wheel driving them toward New York City, and Gambit was reclined in the passenger seat, snoring comfortably.

--------------------------

Author's note (a note on Trolls): For anyone who has seen the 10th Kingdom movie, you know that Al Bundy is the king of the trolls and that's what the whole "Let's pillage" line was inspired by. :-) For anyone who hasn't seen the 10th Kingdom, GO WATCH IT NOW. Looks at watch Yikes...it's pretty late. Nevermind. But I still highly recommended it when you have 10 free hours. Just know that Trolls in this story are entirely stereotypical...they like the dark, have that whole growly look about them, and have shoe fetishes. (Seriously...shoe fetishes...)


	4. Chpt 3: Open Invitations

Chapter Three:

_That morning in __New York City__..._

            Pyro sat up slowly, stretching his arms up over his head, and yawned.  The time on the clock next to him read _10:19_ a.m.  He sighed heavily and rolled out of bed.

            He was still not accustomed to sleeping in so late.  During his time with the Brotherhood (and his time at Xavier's school), his daily schedule usually required him to be up much earlier.  However, after boarding with the Malloy family for over a month, he knew the extra sleep in the morning was encouraged, considering they typically kept him out and about until well after midnight.  Pyro figured the twins, Sid and Becca, were just used to following their nocturnal uncle's late schedule.

            Last night had been busy, just as every night seemed to be in this house, and the twins usually took him along as they ventured out into the city.  Even though Pyro was a number of years younger than them (and still a couple years under the legal limit), they always managed to get him into any of the glamorous venues or restaurants they frequented.  And although the regular city nightlife was exciting, it was the _other_ places, the secret places, the _Underground_, he liked the most.

            The twins gave him the opportunity to see the world without the sensitive buffers Xavier's school had...and, even though he would not have admitted it, without the constant prejudice the members of the Brotherhood held toward the rest of the world.

            _I've gotta report in soon_, Pyro thought, glancing at the clock again.  He knew Magneto would be waiting for his call.

            He searched through his jacket pockets until he found the small communication device.  The outer casing was smooth and metallic.  Pyro tilted open the cover carefully and dialed the code to reach the Island.

            --------------------------

            Rebecca Malloy sat at a round table near a row of open windows, staring down at the morning paper, as the smells of breakfast began to fill each room of the large condo.  A bagged loaf of plain white bread was opened before her, and she was chewing a piece of blackened toast thoughtfully.

            The main section of the flat was large, encompassing both living and dining rooms, and the kitchen door was propped open.  From within, she could hear her brother talking loudly with someone on his cell phone.

            "I _know_ I said only buy three hundred shares, Rich," Sid said with annoyance at his broker, "But I've decided to buy five hundred instead..." he paused, "...uh huh...well, I'm sure the investors will be thrilled when their profits increase by another two hundred percent.  What I don't understand is why you're so upset..." he paused again, "...okay, okay, okay.  But think of it _this_ way...what if the interest rate increases again like it did the same time last year..." third pause, "_Right!_  Now you're doing the same math I am..."

            Rebecca glanced up with annoyance as Sid's volume increased.  If he didn't put that damn phone down, she would never get the rest of her breakfast.  She pulled another piece of bread from the bag and held it in the tips of her fingers.  She narrowed her eyes, and focused her power until the surface of the slice became a dark brown.

            Sid's voice rose again, cawing endlessly about mutual funds and the stock market, and she glared in his direction again.  This conversation had to end, and immediate action on her part was required.

            "_Mr. Malloy, sir!_" she shouted, "_Tell, Richie you wanna invest in Hustler!  You're a big supporter of that 'zine, right?"_

            She heard him grumble angrily, "No.  That's not my accountant, Rich...now listen..."

            _"Or a weight loss plan!_" Rebecca continued merrily,_ "Cause I'm wasting away in here, and I don't even have to exercise!"_

            Sid appeared in the kitchen doorway, phone held to his ear with his shoulder, because he was grasping a spatula with one hand and flipping her off with the other.

            "Yeah, Rich, you're right...it is pretty noisy here..." he said, never losing the professional tone in his voice, "Tell you what...get the stock ready for purchase and I'll call you when I get to the office.  Fine...thanks, Rich."

            Sid flipped his phone closed and glared at his sister.  Rebecca folded her hands on the table and blinked innocently.

            "Toast?" she asked, and ducked as a greasy spatula flew over her head.

            Sid stormed away and Rebecca shook her head.  He had never been a morning person, but there was no way he was going to let his sister make breakfast.  Despite her fabulous power over the element of fire, Rebecca had no skill when it came to the use of heat to prepare food.  Except toast.  She considered herself the master of toast.

            Before she could prepare another piece for consumption, the telephone across the room began to ring.  She glanced over her shoulder and frowned.  Who would be calling this time of day...being before noon and all?

            _If this is one of Sid's business buddies, that spatula is going where the sun don't..._ she thought, but still answered with a polite 'hello.'

            "Good morning, Miss Malloy," a proper voice greeted her.  She frowned slightly, not recognizing the speaker, but new immediately by his calm tone he was not from Wall Street.

            "Can I help you?" she replied curiously.

            "This is Professor Xavier," the caller replied.

            "Oh, hi, Professor," she said with surprise, and then frowned, "Are you trying to reach Sebastian?  Cause if you are...it's a little early for him, if you know what I mean..."

            She heard Xavier chuckle softly, "Yes, I know.  I actually just wanted to see how you were all fairing.  Your wound had been quite traumatic..."

            "Oh..." Rebecca replied hesitantly, unconsciously rolling her right shoulder, "It's not too bad.  I heal pretty fast, especially when I exercise my power.  Not that Sebastian encourages that too much.  And, anyway, it's not like I've never been shot before..."

            _Oh, geez, I probably shouldn't have said that_, she thought.  She had been talking very fast.  Sid had told her about the Professor and how the X-Men helped him when the Sentinel attacked, but she had never spoken to Xavier before personally.

            "Rest assured, Miss Malloy, I maintain the same respect for confidentiality that I had when I was a watcher," Xavier suddenly added, and Rebecca's eyes widened slightly.

            "You heard my thoughts from that far away?" she asked, sounding honestly impressed.  She knew he was powerful, but she did not know he was _that_ powerful.

            "Well...you do _think_ quite loud, actually," Xavier responded apologetically, but Rebecca laughed.

            "I appreciate the concern, Professor," she said, "We're all doing well.  I've put in for a transfer to NYU for the summer.  Somehow I don't think realtors in Chicago will be interested in working with us any time soon."

            "Unfortunately," Xavier said, and paused a moment before continuing, "May I ask how John is doing?  Sebastian told me he allowed him to stay at Magn...at Erik Lensherr's request."

            "He's fine," she said, "He's a nice kid.  He's been working very hard at his training.  I've been taking him to some of the _Underground's_ specialized gyms and...I'm not, like, violating some kind of X-Men, back slash, Brotherhood code by telling you this, am I?"

            "As I said before," Xavier replied sadly, "Confidentiality.  Trust that my concerns are primarily for his well being."

            "I was taught control, Professor," she said reassuringly, "Control over everything else...and never using the power against others."

            There was a quiet conviction in her voice, and it reminded Xavier strikingly of her mother.

            "A wise stance," he said, and then added in a more positive tone, "I do have another reason for calling, however.  I was wondering if a few of my students might stay with your family for a few days.  They have business in the city, and I'd hoped you could be their guides."

            Rebecca shrugged, still with only her left shoulder.  She had not broken the habit she had picked up during her recuperation.

            "Sure, no problem here," she replied, "We have plenty of room, and I won't be doing much until classes start.  Who did you have in mind?  Someone Pyro knows?"

            "No," he said quickly, "It would be a young lady named Mary Sloane and Remy LeBeau, whom _you_ know."

            "Gambit's one of your students?" Rebecca asked, "God help ya, Professor."

            Xavier laughed quietly at this, and then continued, "They are leaving this afternoon, and should arrive no later than early evening."

            "Okay, we'll keep an eye out for them," she said, actually looking forward to the thought of company, "What kind of business will they be doing?  Because I _know_ what kind of business Remy's into..."

            "I think...I would be better to have Mary explain that," Xavier said carefully.

            "Oh, right..._confidentiality_...got it..." Rebecca said, and exchanged goodbyes with the Professor before she hung up.

            Rebecca headed back to the dining table just as Pyro appeared from the back hall.

            "Good morning, St. John," she greeting him, and then picked up a piece of bread and handed it to him, "Wanna try again this morning?"

            Pyro grinned and examined the slice carefully, as if eyeing up a formidable enemy.

            "Maybe later..." he said, and glanced to his left as Sid came out of the kitchen bearing eggs and waffles.

            "Hey, kid," Sid said, passing the plates to Pyro, "Eat this quick before she gets her hands on it..."

            Pyro put the plates on the table, and seemed a little despondent as he sat down at the table.

            Rebecca frowned, "Sid...our guest doesn't seem to be enjoying the typical morning banter..."

            "_I don't enjoy_ your typical morning banter, Bec," Sid shot back quickly, but glanced at Pyro curiously, "Something up, John?  You look a little worried."

            "I actually wanted to let you guys know..." Pyro replied quickly, "Um...Magneto wanted me to let you know that he's sending Mystique and Toad here to get some follow up about my training.  They should be here by tonight."

            Rebecca opened her mouth in surprise, but then shut it promptly.

            "Oh," Sid said, unconcernedly, "Is that all?  That's fine.  We have plenty of room."

            Rebecca's face broke into a grin as she heard her previous words to the Professor echo from her brother's mouth.

            "Yeah, sure," she agreed, and then added with wicked enthusiasm, "I love having company!"

            Sid turned and looked at her suspiciously, but Pyro seemed relieved by their optimistic response to the unexpected guests.

            "I don't know if they'll be as impressed as you guys with my toasting skills, though," Pyro said with an embarrassed smile.

            Rebecca nodded and spoke with exaggerated remorse, "We'll just have you blow up a few cars for them when they come.  Which one's do you have here, Sid?  The Mercedes and the Benz and the..."

            Sid glared at her and smirked, "And your ugly old truck..."

            Rebecca leveled a finger at her brother, "Don't piss on my truck, _Jeremy_.  And another thing...where _exactly_ is the bacon?"

            "Frying..." Sid replied nonchalantly and stepped toward the kitchen, "I should go check on it."

            "And I should go make sure you're not burning it to a crisp," Rebecca shot back but Sid held up a warning hand as she rose from her chair.

            "You are _not_ going near my stove," he said darkly.

            "And I won't allow _you_ to further delay my breakfast," Rebecca challenged.

            "How about _I_ go get it?" Pyro offered, and the twins exchanged meaningful glanced before agreeing.

            "Fine," they said as one, and Sid continued as Pyro headed into the kitchen, "What is your problem this morning, Bec?"

            Rebecca made a hushing motion and gestured for him to come to the other side of the room.

            "What?" he asked with annoyance until he saw the glimmer of amusement in her eyes.

            "Magneto's sending people here tonight," she said.

            Sid nodded, "Yeah, so?"

            "When the phone rang," she explained, "That was Xavier...saying _he _was sending people here tonight, too."

            Sid's eyes widened and a broad grin broke over his handsome features.

            "_Really_?" he said, suddenly sharing his sister's mischievous glee, "That should make for an interesting evening."

            "I agree," Rebecca said, "Xavier said Gambit and a girl named Mary are coming..."

            "And Pyro just said Mystique and Toad are coming," Sid said and then grinned, "At least the odds are square...two on two..."

            Rebecca's face dropped seriously, "The imagery invoked by that analogy is way too disturbing..."

            "If I remember..." Sid continued, unabated by his sister's comment, "Mystique was a very beautiful woman indeed..."

            Rebecca rolled her eyes, "Yeah, you and Remy can arm wrestle over her," Then her face lightened markedly, "We should clean off the roof!  Plan a little welcoming party!  And...Let's keep it a secret.  It'll make a great surprise for Sebastian."

            "Should we risk a cruel death at the hands of a vampire and the violent clashing of two opposing mutant forces just for the sake of our own amusement?" Sid mused thoughtfully.

            Identically delighted grins appeared on their faced and the spoke in time.

            "_Absolutely._"


	5. Chpt 4: Surprises

Author's note: Sorry about the delay with the last two chapters. They didn't post until today. But hey here's another one... :-)

Chapter Four:

_Start spreading the news...I'm leaving today..._

Mary was humming the song quietly to herself as they emerged from the Holland Tunnel and into the city of New York. Remy was driving now, holding a map over the steering wheel and trying to find the quickest route to the Malloys' house.

"_I want to be a part of it..._" she sang softly, grinning as Remy cursed in French at several drivers who had for some reason or another broken traffic etiquette.

"_Merde_," Remy muttered under his breath, "Who teaches people in the north now to drive, I'd like to know..."

Mary chuckled but felt sympathetic, since she was very glad it was not her turn behind the wheel.

"Let's see if we can find a traffic report on the radio," she offered, and Remy sighed heavily.

"I know what they will all say, _chere_," he said bitterly, "Get out and walk."

Mary shook her head with amusement and searched the airwaves for a news station.

"...broken down in the north bound lanes," monotone traffic reporter said calmly, and they listened, and hoped for good news, "South bound New Jersey turnpike currently reports no problems and congestion seems to be clearing around all the tunnels..."

Remy scowled at the radio, "I'll believe it when I see it."

Mary continued to listen to the radio, since there was not much sightseeing to do right now.

"...and a series of overnight muggings has police baffled," a new reporter spoke up, "...They caution anyone in the area of Central Park to be particularly cautious if they are wearing expensive shoes..."

Mary jumped in surprise as Remy leaned on the car's horn and shouted something angrily at another car.

"Did you hear that?" she asked him, and Remy nodded.

"Oh, yes, I heard him," he replied, shaking a fist out the window, "I did not understand him though. I have no idea what language that was..."

Mary sighed, "Oh, never mind, then."

The news station went on to talk about other, more interesting news stories until a Hollywood gossip show began. Mary spun the volume down and leaned back with a huff of frustration.

Remy glanced over at her, noticing her sudden sour mood and he began to hum her earlier tune.

"_I want to be a part of it_," he sang with a grin, "_New York__, __New York__..."_

He blared the horn again, and laughed aloud. Mary looked at him like he was nuts (a fact he would have agreed with) and Remy shrugged.

"Hey, it's better than disco, no?" he remarked casually.

Mary grinned again, "Yeah..._way better_..."

--------------------------

That afternoon, Pyro was reclining comfortably on a soft in the living room, enjoying his last few hours of relaxation before his associates from the Brotherhood arrived. He was clicking his lighter opened and closed, a sign of his quiet anxiety, and flipping through the stations on the television slowly.

_Andy Griffith...too wholesome..._ Pyro thought and sighed, _Texas Justice...too legal... __General__Hospital__...yikes, too much drama... Sesame Street...too juvenile... Fairly OddParents... alright... Fairly OddParents..._

Pyro jumped slightly as the house's doorbell chimed. He was on his feet in an instant, expecting to see Mystique stroll into the room, but the bell chimed again. Rebecca had been sitting at a computer desk near the back hall and a bright smile appeared on her face as the musical notes played over again.

"I'll get it," she said and dashed out the door toward the main elevator.

Pyro waited for her to return with their guests, forcing himself to put his lighter in his pocket. He ran a hand through his hair and straightened his shirt. Magneto said to expect Mystique and Toad no earlier than six o'clock, and it was just after three. He heard the main elevator hiss open but frowned when the new arrivals stepped through the door.

"I have to say, _chere_, your home is beautiful!" the Cajun X-Man exclaimed as he entered the main room, removing his sunglasses from over his strangely colored eyes.

"Thanks, Remy," Rebecca replied appreciatively, and lead him and Mary into the condo, "If my uncle hadn't become a vampire, he'd probably have been an interior decorator."

"Vampire?" Mary said stopping dead in her tracks, looking around nervously.

Rebecca chuckled, "Don't worry...he might be inhuman but he's harmless."

"_Le vampire_," Remy said with an exaggerated dark tone, and then noticed the young man standing near the sofa, "Pyro! You have not found it very scary staying here, have you?"

Pyro was gaping in horror as he realized who the two unexpected guests were. Gambit he knew, and the other young woman he also recognized from Stryker's base but..._they were X-Men..._

He stared blankly at Rebecca, who simply continued to grin. She _knew_ the Brotherhood members were on their way here..._why did she look so damn pleased with herself..._

"You knew," Pyro said suddenly, his face falling into a mask of complete fury.

Rebecca winked at him and called for her brother cheerfully.

"Oh, Sid! Our guests have arrived..."

"Which ones?" her brother asked, equally cheerfully.

Pyro's eyes looked like they were about to pop out of his head.

"_You both knew?_" he asked, his expression shifting from anger to unbelieving horror, "_Are you nuts?!"_

Remy frowned curiously at the boy, "Are you alright, Pyro? You seem a little stressed. Miss Malloy! How hard have you been training this boy?"

Rebecca chuckled, "Come on, you guys. I'll show you where you can put your things."

As she lead Remy and Mary to their rooms, Sid passed them in the hall and entered the main area of the house, smiling pleasantly at the gaping young man. Sid was buttoning up the cuff link of his suit jacket and straightened his shoulders.

"_You...knew_!" Pyro shouted again, and Sid looked a little hurt.

"Only since this morning," he reassured the young pyretic, "Believe it or not, we didn't arrange this. The Professor called, and asked us to host for Mary and Remy. Then, you let us know Mr. Lensherr was sending two additional guests here. We are just trying to accommodate everyone fairly."

Rebecca stepped out of the hall, and stood next to her brother. Pyro put his head in his hands and flopped down on the couch.

"Oh, don't worry so much, St. John," Rebecca said, walking over and sitting down next to him, "We've had all day to plan an appropriate activity for everyone tonight."

"Like what?" Pyro asked doubtfully, and glanced up with annoyance as Remy chimed in.

"_Oui_...like what?" he repeated, as he and Mary came back out of the hall.

"It's a surprise," Sid explained, "We figured we'd stick with today's theme...surprises..."

"Excellent!" Remy said, "But, _ami_, I must know...Will it involve the opportunity to meet beautiful and available _femmes_?"

Sid grinned smugly, "Of course...I wouldn't have it any other way..."

Rebecca scowled comically and glanced at Mary, "Now I remember why the Cajun reminded me of my brother."

"Um...before we...embark on this surprise journey," Mary finally spoke up, and she looked seriously at the twins, "There's something I need to tell you guys about..."

--------------------------

Mary finished telling the twins and Pyro about her recent dream and no one spoke as they absorbed the information.

"Disco?" Pyro asked incredulously, all anxieties about Mystique and Toad's pending arrival forgotten for the time being.

Rebecca nodded, "Yeah...that does sound like something Sid would be involved with."

"I do enjoy the music of the seventies..." her brother mused agreeably.

"So...what do you think?" Mary asked, "Ever heard of anything like it around the city before?"

The twins shook their head in unison, and exchanged confused looks.

"New one for us," Rebecca said, "Okay...forgoing surprises...we were planning to take everyone downtown with us tonight to one of the _Underground's _clubs. A friend of ours and his band are playing tonight, but we could also ask around to see if anyone's heard of anything weird going on..."

"Or weirder than usual," Pyro remarked with a grin, and then looked at the twins curiously, "Oz's band?"

The twins nodded again, but were entirely preoccupied now with the mystery Mary had presented them.

"Well," Remy began slowly, and then shrugged happily, "Disco monsters or not, I'm glad to hear of our upcoming outing. The Xs are terrific and all, but a Cajun needs to step out every now and then."

Pyro shot Remy a hard glare but said nothing.

Rebecca rolled her healing shoulder uncomfortably, "I still need to stop by the university today. We probably won't go to the club before nightfall. You guys wanna do some sight seeing with me until the others arrive?"

"The others?" Remy asked.

"Your good friend Toad and the lovely lady Mystique," Sid replied with a wicked grin.

Rebecca rolled her eyes, and then turned to Mary for a civilized response.

"So, what do ya say?" she asked, "Take a spin past NYU? Sid obviously doesn't mind waiting for the Brotherhood to arrive."

Mary nodded, "Sure...sounds great."

"I'll go get my coat..." Rebecca said heading toward the front door.

Remy clapped his hands happily, "University? As in college girls..."

"Med students," Rebecca reminded him, "Careful, Remy...they carry scalpels..."


	6. Chpt 5: Revisiting 'xenia'

Chapter Five:

            _"Good evening, and welcome to the six o'clock news..."_ the anchor said with appropriate temperance, _"Our top stories tonight...tensions heighten overseas as delegates from around the world meet to discuss current economic issues...farmers in the Midwest fear the possibility of drought this summer due to below average snow fall over the winter months...and a series of bizarre robberies around the city have left police baffled and shoe stores under alert...but first, a small apartment fire quickly turned into a three alarm blaze earlier this afternoon..._"

            "Not my fault," Pyro muttered unhappily under his breath as the report continued.

            Rebecca had taken Mary and Remy out for a quick spin around the city nearly an hour and a half before and Sid was entirely preoccupied with checking his stocks online, so Pyro was left to his own devices until the representatives of the Brotherhood arrived.

            He had spent most of the hour or so wondering how the hell he was going to explain the presence of two X-Men in the home to Mystique.  He did not want to know what Magneto's reaction would be to Pyro's involuntary fraternizing with the enemy.  But, as Pyro worried, he slowly decided the situation could have been worse.

            After all, both Mary and Remy were new members to Xavier's school, and probably were not technically X-Men yet.  Sure, Remy had worn the uniform during the Sentinel incident, but he did not act like the X-Men Pyro knew. 

            Cyclops...Storm...even Wolverine had a very specific manner about them when discussing the Brotherhood.  Good guys versus bad guys...enough said.  Bad guys did bad things (like kidnapping Rogue and trying to kill all the humans on the planet) and good guys did good things (like interfering with everything the Brotherhood ever tried to do).

            But, Pyro had come to realize over the past year...from Alkalai Lake to the Magneto's Island to New York City...that the lines were not so clearly drawn.

            Pyro started out of his thoughts as the doorbell sounded again.

            --------------------------

            As Toad and Mystique stood outside the main entrance of the Malloy home, neither bothered to disguise the fact they were mutants.  The cul du sac was entirely deserted and the house could not be seen by passing pedestrians. 

            Despite that, Mystique had chosen to wear a simple dress suit and pants.  The outfit was an off white color and accented her blue skin beautifully.  When she was on a mission, her typical near nudity served her and her power well.  However, when the need to morph was unnecessary, she was not a stranger to the latest fashions and preferred not to have all of her skin exposed to the elements all the time.

            Toad stood beside her, bundled in his long black coat, but he had pushed back his hood after he got behind the wheel of their black car.  The windows were tinted slightly, not enough to bother passing law enforcement officials, but sufficient to hide the skin colors of passengers within.

            Mystique pressed the bell again, her face expressionless as Pyro opened the door.

            "Hey..." the young man said, and directed them toward the elevator, "Sid's upstairs..."

            They rode in silence, and Pyro shifted uncomfortably, uncertain of how he should react to his cohorts after such a prolonged absence.  Somehow he doubted hugs would be appropriate.

            They left the elevator in a single line, and followed Pyro into the large apartment.

            Sid rose from his computer as the new guests entered his home and he greeted them amicably, using all of his professional charm when he spoke.

            "Welcome back," Sid said with a grin, extending his arm politely first to Mystique and then to Toad, who hesitated a moment before shaking Sid's hand.

            "Thank you for having us here," Mystique replied in her natural, multi-toned voice, "While Pyro's daily reports to Magneto have been quite detailed, he thought it would be nice to have a familiar face visit the boy."

            Sid nodded, but took careful note of how Mystique spoke.  He had been involved with all kinds of industry and trade settings since he was eighteen years old, and he knew right away that this woman was skilled at diplomatic apathy.

            "That's wonderful," Sid said, never breaking his pleasant expression, "Pyro's been a very attentive student, both to myself and to my sister.  He's very dedicated to his training...and his comrades."

            Mystique nodded with exaggerated appreciation that was almost flirtatious.

            "Magneto will be pleased to hear that," she said, taking a purposeful moment to give the boy an impressed glance...that Sid did not buy for a second.

            "Please," Sid said, "Let me take your things to your rooms.  I put on a pot of coffee if anyone would like some..."

            "Thank you, that was very thoughtful," Mystique replied and headed toward over to a nearby chair without taking up the offer for beverages.  She sat silently and waited for their host to return.

            Toad glanced over a Pyro and threw him a silent signal to take a seat somewhere nearby.  The kid did not look happy about how the other two had talked around him, but Toad knew how Mystique worked, and gave the kid a reassuring smirk as he crouched in one corner.

            Sid came out of the hall and sat down in a plush chair not far from the blue lady.  He seemed quite delighted to be entertaining, and played up his suave manner to its fullest.  Pyro could do nothing but watch and hope Rebecca had taken Xavier's people on a very _extended_ city tour.

            "So, how long were you both planning to visit the city?" Sid asked, "It doesn't feel like nearly a month has passed since you arrived, Pyro.  I guess we've kept you pretty busy."

            Pyro offered him a weak grin, "Yeah...busy's not really the word for it..."

            Mystique shifted her eyes between Sid and Pyro, politely interested in their exchange.

            "You've taken him to the _Underground_," she replied quickly, and without question.

            Sid nodded, "Of course...best training facilities in the city for firebugs like him and Becca."

            "May I ask how your sister is?" Mystique inquired innocently, as if the question had just occurred to her.

            "She's doing well," Sid replied, and his tone became more casual, "Takes more than a bullet to stop her...believe me...I've tried before."

            "And it takes more than a dozen to stop you, if I remember correctly," Mystique replied, her eyes flashing as she smiled.

            _Damn...this chick is good_, Sid thought with amusement.  People he had worked with for years in the economic front did not have half the skills in body language as this woman.

            "Rebecca should be back soon," Sid said, taking a moment to enjoy his upcoming revelation, "She had to run to the university to drop off a few things.  She and Mary and Remy should be returning soon, though they were going to make a few stops before heading to the school..."

            "Remy?" Toad suddenly spoke up, and Mystique shot him a hard look for the interruption, "You don't mean that Cajun...oh, bloody hell..."

            Toad's last words were accompanied by a disbelieving chuckle, which seemed entirely uncharacteristic for the brooding mutant.  Pyro, on the other hand, looked like he had just been kicked in the stomach, and avoided Mystique's confused glare.

            "Who is that?" she asked, the calm discipline in her voice cracking slightly.

            Toad smirked, and glanced over at Pyro for an explanation.  However, when it was clear that the young man was not capable of responding at that moment (the kid looked like a Sentinel was in the room instead of Mystique), Toad sighed and shook his head with annoyance.

            "He's one of X's" he replied, enjoying immensely the look of shock on the blue lady's face as he continued, "He's the one who was stuck in the cell with me an'..."

            "The...X-Men..." Mystique interrupted him, annunciating each word with increasing rage, "...are here?"

            Pyro gaped a moment, but he did not have a chance to offer his side of the story before Toad laughed again.  During the sudden reprieve, Pyro realized he never heard Toad sound so honestly amused.

            "Are they the only two?" he asked the younger mutant, who nodded awkwardly.

            "Two X-Men are still a threat..." Mystique spoke again, rising to her feet almost menacingly.

            Only Sid Malloy seemed to share Toad's new entertainment at the situation.

            "That Frenchy's not really a _threat_," Toad said cynically, cutting Mystique off, another atypical action on his part. 

            She glared at him fiercely, and then back at Pyro, who struggled not to wince as she turned her sudden anger on him.

            "Who else has been here?" she asked, "Have you had any other communication with Xavier's people?"

            "No," Pyro replied simply, the hard tone in his voice echoing his own sudden resentment at her accusation, "Sid and Rebecca received a call from Xavier today saying they were en route to the city...just before I told them you two were coming.  I didn't know anything about it until they stepped through the front door."

            "You should have contacted us immediately," Mystique replied, unconcerned about Sid or Toad's presence in the room as she berated him.

            "That's wouldn't have matter," Pyro shot back, "You'd still have come anyway..."

            _Careful..._ Toad thought to himself, his amusement fading as Pyro treaded onto dangerous ground with the blue lady, who always fancied herself second in command to their leader.

            "Please," Sid interrupted before the argument could continue; he had expected antagonism between the two mutant groups but not directed at Pyro, "Lady Mystique, I know you are aware of some of the Council's practices, and our family has followed the rule of _xenia_ for as long as I've known them.  Treat your guests as you would hope to be treated in their home.  You all, on your Island, helped my sister when she was wounded.  Xavier's people, as you put it, aided me in my search for her after the Sentinel attack.  Therefore, we are indebted to both Mr. Lensherr and the Professor, and do not hold one above the other.  Who we choose to have in our home is our business, and arrangements were made without Pyro's knowledge."

            Mystique had watched the young man carefully as he spoke.  She could put no argument to his explanation of the current situation, and she knew it.  Magneto, though alienated by the Council, also kept some of their practices.  Specifically, when it came to the bonds of brotherhood and loyalty to one's beliefs.  It was where he drew the name for himself and his followers.  As stated, there was nothing she could do about the presence of X-Men in the Malloy home.

            She turned to head to look at Toad, who shrugged noncommittally.  He knew Magneto almost as well as she did, though did not know much about Council practices.  However, she could usually read his thoughts by his actions (she did not consider him the deepest of thinkers).  He was familiar with at least one of the other 'guests' and, by his complacent attitude, she assumed there was no direct danger to their mission.

            Despite her opinion about the amphibious mutant, Toad still kept his own secrets, especially about the other mission Magneto had given him before leaving the Island.  He did not want to be forced to leave the city until he had been able to do some scouting for the mutants on his list.

            Mystique took a deep breath before continuing, "Very well.  I apologize for my outburst.  Your additional _guests_...caught me off guard.  Though, one might suspect that such a reaction had crossed your minds before we arrived."

            "Of course," Sid replied with a broad grin, "Just trying to keep things interesting."

            "Indeed," the word sounded much darker coming from Mystique than Professor Xavier.

            "And, to make up for any hard feelings," Sid said, "We'd like to invite you all to an _Underground_ event tonight.  One of our friends is in town and his band will be playing at the Muddy Duck nightclub.  It will give you the opportunity to meet a few of the people Pyro has been socializing with during his stay with us."

            "That sounds fine," she agreed, and then smiled at Sid with a no-so-subtle request for forgiveness, "You had mentioned coffee before?  I think I would enjoy a cup."

            Sid nodded and directed the blue lady into the kitchen.  After the swinging door had settled, Toad quickly drew a small computer from his pockets and activated it.  He glanced at Pyro, who looked relieved that his exchange with Mystique was over.

            "What time they usually take you down there?" Toad asked quickly, glancing at the kitchen door to keep watch for the others.

            "After nightfall," Pyro replied, looking at his watch, "So in an hour or two..."

            "Right," Toad replied, "When do you 'spect the Cajun and the others to be back?"

            Pyro shrugged and shook his head.

            Toad frowned with frustration.  He wanted to get started on Magneto's list as soon as possible.

"Where'd they go?" he asked, annoyed at Pyro's short, nervous replies.

            "To the university," the younger mutant said, "NYU.  Probably the biology building...Becca's got some friends there who've been..."

            _All I need to know_, Toad thought and ignored Pyro's surprise as he went to one open window and climbed out, scaling the building to the ground.

            Once again, Pyro was left alone in the large main room.  He sighed, still with relief but now with newfound boredom.  He rose from his chair and flopped back down on one large sofa.  He clicked the news on again and watched with disinterest as some reported took witness testimony on the scene of a recent crime.

            _"I don't know who they were," _the Versace store attended said tearfully, _"But they were mean...and ugly...and had really good taste in boots and sandals..."_


	7. Chpt 6: The Raspberry Defense

Chapter Six:

"Ew," Rebecca said with an expression of disgust as her friend pinned the skin of a dissected worm in place.

Sarah grinned broadly as she stared up over her glasses at her one-woman audience, sensing the other girl's revulsion acutely.

"You know," she said ironically, "If you're gonna be a doctor, you're gonna have to get used to this kind of stuff."

Rebecca grimaced and nodded, "I know but...are our studies worth the lives of all these innocent animals?"

She gestured at the rest of the room, which was lined with insects and frogs and other creatures who had been turned inside out for the sake of knowledge.

The lab was located on the tenth floor of the building dedicated to the physical sciences, and was easily one of the largest on campus. Geological and earth studies were housed in the lower levels (because rocks were heavy), while physics and theory classrooms were near the top of the building (because they studied gravity and stuff). Anything regarding biological and medical studies was sandwiched right in the middle...for no other reason except it was where they were.

"Innocent?" Sarah replied, eyeing her current dissection warily, "I'll have you know that when these animals were alive, all their thoughts were focused on plotting your death."

"Oh, were they in that club too?" Rebecca laughed and then folded her arms and grinned, "Ya know, you're pretty unsympathetic for an empath."

"I only feel for my fellow human and mutant beings," Sarah replied, holding up the worm tray and examining it carefully, "Not that I don't love animals...I just love them in a 'let me look at your spleen' type of way."

"Do worms have spleens?" Rebecca asked.

Sarah considered that point and frowned, "I guess I'll have to keep looking...it could be this long thingy here..."

"Ew," Rebecca repeated and walked around the desk, "I wish I could help you out with your search...but I've got friends waiting for me downstairs in my car and I told them I would just be a minute. Can you make sure Dr. Suelen gets my transcripts?"

"No problem," Sarah replied, and then tilted her head as she looked at her classmate, "How's the shoulder, by the way? I still sense a little achy twinge from you every now and then."

Rebecca rolled her shoulder and sighed, entirely bored with people asking her how she was.

"It's fine...though I'm dreading tank top season since I got this new scar to deal with," she said.

Sarah nodded and then tilted her head again, a sign of quiet concentration as she used her empathic gifts.

"So, who are your friends downstairs?" she asked and then smirked in amusement, "Cause the guy seems to have a little bit of an ego...but also a few secrets..."

"Knock it off," Rebecca said with a grin, "That's like eaves dropping or something. They're just a couple of mutants from a secret organization who've come to warn me and my brother that we're in danger. No big thing really."

"Danger?" Sarah asked with one eyebrow raised curiously, "Am I to suspect there's more to you than your mild mannered mutant med student self?"

"Of course not," Rebecca replied, aghast but grinning.

Sarah suddenly frowned and tilted her head again.

"How many people did you say are waiting for you?" she asked.

"I didn't," Rebecca answered, "There's two in the car..."

"And someone else in here," Sarah finished, in a hushed voice. Rebecca blinked in surprise and glanced around the crowded room. Between file cabinets and preserved experiments, there were many places for someone to hide.

"You're not sensing any Bee Gees vibes from them, are you?" Rebecca asked.

Sarah stared at her in blank confusion and shook her head, "Um...no. But he seems a little nervous around the dissections..."

Rebecca glanced at her friend with confusion, until Sarah shouted aloud to the new presence in the room.

"Hello!" she called, keeping her voice stern, "We know you're there! Just come on out! My formaldehyde friends won't bite!"

Rebecca watched the unknown person come forward warily, but grinned when she recognized the English mutant.

"Toad!" she said with surprise, "You guys finally made it. I guess you stopped by the house first..."

Toad nodded, then glanced distrustfully at the other young woman he did not know. Sarah once again raised an eyebrow, and regarded the new mutant curiously. The emotions she sensed in him were strange, disorganized; though it was obvious what he was mainly feeling now was irritation bordering on anger toward mild mannered med student Rebecca.

"Remy's in the car," she continued amicably, "He wanted to say hi and..."

"'Ur brother told us," he said curtly, "We've gotta get back to 'ur house..._now_."

Rebecca noticed Sarah recoil slightly on Toad's last word.

"Whoa," the young woman muttered uneasily, and Toad glared at her.

"Bloody telepaths..." he said and grabbed Rebecca's arm to drag her away from the other girl.

"What's the problem?" Rebecca asked him angrily but keeping her voice low, "You guys didn't like the little joke, I guess..."

"Yeah...joke...bloody brilliant..." Toad hissed, dragging her behind around one corner.

Rebecca shook her arm out of his grasp, and he paused with a heavy sigh.

"You're suppos' to be training the kid not takin' him to parties with the X-Men..." Toad spat viciously.

Rebecca threw up her hands and began to walk away from him, "Oh, Jesus, I swear I hate that bullshit."

"Magneto explained to you..." Toad began to follow her, until she cut him off.

"_Mr. Lensherr_..." Rebecca annunciated as she turned around, "...asked me to help Pyro learn what I know about controlling fire. And I think he's been doing pretty well. Social outings are a bonus..."

"Sodding waste of time," Toad muttered, and then gestured to the back of the room, "Let's go..."

"There's no exit that way," she replied quickly, "Only windows...the elevators are..."

"They won't see us this way," he shot back.

"_Who's they?_" Rebecca asked loudly, "Despite popular opinion, not everyone is out to get me or you or every other mutant!"

Toad took a step toward her and spoke darkly.

"Y'don't think the gov'ment's looking for the mutant who destroyed Stryker's base?"

Rebecca's face fell suddenly, and sharp rage flashed in her eyes.

"The concern is appreciated," she said slowly, keeping her temper in check, "_I know_ what I did...really, thanks for reminding me...and I know every time my power gets out of control, I put myself and my family at risk. But don't every think I need anyone else to protect me from who might be _watching_ me today."

Toad ground his teeth and glanced away, "Magneto knows about the people who watch...it'll be _his_ decision wh'ther or not we stop them from watchin'..."

"Excuse me, Mortimer Toynbee," Rebecca whispered back, ignoring his anger as she called him by his real name, "But it very much is my decision, and what happens in _my own life_ is _my own business,_ no matter what Erik Lensherr may think_!_"

"But Pyro is the Brotherhood's business," Toad argued back, "And while he's staying with you, if Magneto decides you all need to be looked after _then you will bloody well be looked after!_"

Rebecca shook her head in frustration, "Did you just _threaten_ me with _protection_?"

Toad frowned, reflecting back a moment on what he just said. Rebecca made an exasperated noise before storming away. Toad followed her until they reached the area of the lab where Sarah was still sitting.

"Where'd'you think your going?" he shouted at Rebecca who was lifting a book bag onto her shoulders.

"Home," she replied, "Isn't that where you wanted to rush back to?"

"We're not just gonna walk out the front door..." he replied looking at her as if she was utterly daft about what it was to be a mutant.

"Yeah, that was my master plan," she replied, "That's why they put doors in this building, you know? For the entering and exiting, right, Sarah?"

The other young woman glanced at Toad nervously, "Uh...yeah, that is the campus rumor."

"_B__loody stubborn woman_," he hissed at Rebecca.

She grinned at him smugly, and then looked over at Sarah.

"See you later. I'd love to chat more...but I have _guests..."_

She hissed on her last word, imitating Toad's tone and then headed toward the lab's exit. Sarah heard the green mutant grumble, as he glanced between her and Rebecca skeptically.

"University students, eh?" he said, and then raised his voice, "More like bloody _kindergarten!_"

Rebecca paused and considered this.

She turned back to face him, stuck out her tongue and made a very rude noise, before continuing onto the door.

_Oh, really..._ Toad thought. He opened his mouth and shot out his own tongue, hearing other student gasp sharply.

Rebecca barely had a moment to duck as Toad's extra appendage snapped over her head. Boxes nearby toppled down as he drew his tongue back, and she dodged them without much success. Sarah struggled not to laugh as she watched her friend get to her feet with livid outrage.

Rebecca gaped speechlessly at Toad, who folded his arms over his chest and looked properly contented at his success at shutting her up.

She glanced at the toppled boxes, and then back at Toad with surprised anger.

She glanced at the boxes a second time, then over at him again, but only with bewilderment.

She gave the debris one more look. Finally, a grin formed on her face and she held her hands up resignedly.

"Okay...okay...you win..." she accepted humbly. Sarah was close to hysterics, wiping tears of laughter from underneath her glasses.

Toad frowned, "What?"

The word came out more like 'wot' and that sent Sarah into another peal of giggles.

"Debate over, Toad," Rebecca replied, and then pointed toward the fallen boxes, "No one has _ever _had a good come back to the _raspberry defense_ before."

"Raspberry defense..." Toad repeated, and then gave her an irritated scowl, "Right...whatever. Now, let's go..."

"There's a private stairway..." Rebecca said, having no interest in leaving by the tenth story windows, "It'll take us right to the parking lot. The guard there's usually watching T.V. He won't even notice us..."

Toad nodded and began heading to the exit. Rebecca sighed heavily and glanced at Sarah, who looked eternally grateful for the unexpected entertainment.

"See ya later, huh?" she said.

"Later," Sarah replied, but then added awkwardly, "Oh...and tell your friend I'm sorry about my...um, frog dissections...I think they made him nervous..."

--------------------------

The stairway proved to be as secure as Rebecca said. She even greeted the parking lot's security guard aloud, but the man barely paid the pair any attention.

Still, Toad had drawn the hood of his black coat over his face, and tucked his hands deeply in his pockets. They walked in silence towards a blue, expensive looking car that was a loner from the Sid collection.

Rebecca used a small remote to unlock the car doors, and she slid quickly into the driver's seat. Toad opened the back door directly behind her, and the two who had been waiting for Rebecca looked at him with surprise.

"Toad!" Remy LeBeau said cheerfully, "How are you, _ami_? I did not know you went to the university..."

Toad did not respond directly to the Cajun, but muttered uncomfortably as he got inside and pulled his door shut.

"Bloody 'ell..."


	8. Chpt 7: Hostile Reunions

Chapter Seven:

The sun was just finishing its descent to the horizon as the blue car pulled into the cul de sac of the Malloy home.

Mary sat in the back seat, next to the mutant Rebecca introduced as Toad, and listened to the conversation of the others quietly. Remy had greeted the new mutant affably, but Toad seemed content to ignore the bantering from the two people in the front seats.

Since Mary had been the only one in the car not abducted by the Sentinel, Remy took it upon himself to regale her with their saga, beginning in Chicago and ending with their escape from Stryker's mutant cells. Rebecca chimed in every now and then to correct Remy's exaggerations of his own heroics, or to add details like floating appliances or killer robotic arms.

The tone of the entire tale was humorous, and much different than the somber ending, which no one really spoke about. Remy was laughing merrily about their first attempt to destroy the doors of the mutant cells.

"...and then, it just blew up in our faces," he said with a broad grin and Rebecca laughed and nodded.

"Yeah, that was great," she said, "The blankets on the closest cots were just ash...it was so great..."

"And so we're thinking and thinking..." Remy continued, "Until Becca just gets up, stands in front of a security camera and begins cursing at it, hoping to insult the guards enough to get them to come down to the cell..."

Mary was listening politely to their unrealistic story, when she heard Toad chuckle quietly. He _was_ listening then, despite the disinterest on his face. The other two kept calling back to him to confirm their account of the events, as if they did not notice his attitude.

Mary tried to watch him closely out of the corner of her eye. Any time either Remy or Rebecca would address him, Toad would glare at them, his expression almost hostile. But, occasionally, a measure of humor would sneak through, almost a sense of ease, just to be covered up again when someone said his name again.

"Until..." Remy concluded dramatically, "I just stood in front of the doors and said the magic words..."

Mary joined in their laughter as Rebecca pulled the car into the open garage. As they exited and headed toward the house, Rebecca glanced up at the twilight sky and bit her lip thoughtfully.

"Uncle Bas will be up soon," she said, mostly to herself as she led the others into her home.

When they reached the top floor and entered the apartment, Mystique, along with Sid and Pyro, was waiting for them. She examined each person as they walked through the front door, taking special care to watch the people from Xavier's school closely. She recognized them, of course, from the encounter in the Sentinel's hanger, and gave Mary a particularly wary look.

Rebecca greeted Mystique pleasantly, and told the newcomers to make themselves at home. The blue woman nodded politely, but her manners did not reflect the antagonism in her eyes.

Mary walked past her to get to one of the sofas in the living area, and found herself comparing Mystique to another blue skinned mutant she knew. In fact, the sudden impression of Kurt Wagner was so intense, Mary realized she could ken one echoing thought directed at her above Mystique's other hostility.

_This bitch is living with my son_.

Rebecca and Sid seemed completely oblivious to the growing tension in the room.

"You guys will love Oz's band," the female Malloy said, "Pyro's been to one of their shows before so he can testify to their talent."

"You can introduce Mystique and Toad to Lance," Sid offered with a grin.

Pyro nodded with agreement, but Mystique spoke before he could reply.

"It's wonderful to hear Pyro is making friends," she said coolly, "But Magneto wants a report on his training."

Pyro suppressed an angry retort as Rebecca smiled politely, "Oh, sure. The club's not far from one of the Underground gyms..."

"...If you'd like to visit one tomorrow it shouldn't be a problem," Sid continued after his sister, "But, tonight..."

"...We'd like to give you all a little introduction to the Underground first," Rebecca continued without pause when Sid ended.

"That sounds like an excellent idea," Remy chimed in, glancing at Mystique challengingly, "We all have much to catch up on, no? Our previous partings were not at all pleasant."

"Thank you...Gambit, is it?" Mystique said, and the Cajun nodded to acknowledge his code name, "But despite your illusion of a happy reunion, we are not here to socialize with you."

Before anyone else could reply, Remy grinned broadly and narrowed his eyes at the blue mutant.

"Perhaps _you_ are not, _madame_," he replied, his typically charming demeanor fading, "_Cependant_, I happen to be interested in what my allies from under the mountain have been doing since our abrupt departure."

"Allies?" Mystique questioned doubtfully, enjoying her opponent's increasing anger, "You have no allies with the Brotherhood."

"_Desole_, _madame,_ but you are incorrect," Remy said, "I do consider both Toad and Pyro allies during the previous battle which we were all, unfortunately, involved with. Even though I don't know Pyro very well yet, I have heard good accounts of him from his friends at Xavier's school."

Pyro blinked in surprise, wondering if he should speak up, but had no window of opportunity during Remy and Mystique's debate.

Rebecca glanced at Pyro, and then over at her brother. This argument was going beyond all humor, and the tension in the room was thickening with each word.

"Any association the boy had with the X-Men is dead," Mystique said flatly, and then she shot a look at Pyro, "That _is correct_...isn't it?"

Remy LeBeau's face clouded over with fury. His red eyes flashed and he took a step toward the blue mutant. Toad had been crouching nearby, and was now on his feet, looking startled by the Cajun's vicious response, and he prepared to lunge at the X-Man if his gestures became more threatening. Ally under the mountain or not, Toad's loyalty was to the Brotherhood, Mystique included, and none other.

Remy's drawl became heavy as he spoke, "You are here criticizing how our hosts have trained this boy, and all you seem to teach him of is hate, where hate is not needed. I have known people like you, _madame_. Believe me, Gambit has known some of the worst...very well. And the best...both inside and outside Xavier's school."

Mystique rose to her feet fluidly, "You have no idea what you've become involved with..."

Sid and Rebecca also stood, and exchanged glances before speaking. The sun had set, and this was not how they wanted their guests to first appear to their uncle. If Mystique and Remy thought they knew about anger and hostility, they were in for a wicked surprise when Sebastian's vampiric rage kicked in.

"Please..." Rebecca began, "Don't do this."

"We haven't allowed you to stay here simply to invoke old conflicts," Sid shouted at both of his arguing guests.

Mystique threw the pair a stern look, and though she did not reply out loud, the expression spoke volumes. _You have created this situation, and now deal with it._

"And Gambit has no old conflicts with you, _madame_," Remy continued on after Sid, "But...if you'd like to start a new one..."

Rebecca suddenly realized Remy had a playing card in his hand, though she had not seen him reach into his pocket to retrieve one. Toad had noticed it as well, and took another step toward the dueling mutants. Mystique simply stood with her arms folded, waiting without fear for the X-Man to initiate a physical conflict.

"Try it," Mystique said calmly, a wicked smile stretching over her features.

Mary watched with confused alarm as the two opposing forces prepared to face off with more than words. Barely three minutes had passed since they walked through the front door. The blue female mutant had not hesitated in instigating an argument, but it was Toad behind her who was preparing to fight with her opponent. None of it made sense to Mary, who watched in growing horror as Gambit held the playing card up before his eyes.

"Remy, put it down!" Rebecca shouted, and then glared at the two Brotherhood members, "I'm really not interested in losing another house!"

The wave of heat that rolled through the room was unmistakable. Mystique continued simply to smile, reveling in her success as the situation spiraled out of control.

--------------------------

Suddenly, they all froze in surprise as the walls around them began to shake. Anyone standing was forced to brace themselves, as the shuddering became more intense. The first thought that went through most of their minds was of the Sentinel, even though it still lay in ruins under a fallen mountain in West Virginia.

Rebecca and Sid knew immediately these tremors were not caused by anything that big. They exchanged horrified glances, and recognized the signs of a quickly approaching, and obviously upset demonic presence. Their uncle's sanctuary was in the basement of the building, and they could feel a force approaching quickly from below.

--------------------------

Mary was still seated on the sofa, and tilted her head curiously. Any anxiety regarding conflict between the other guests faded, and was replaced with quiet bemusement about what might come next. Demonic or not, the impending presence was nothing like what Kurt had battled in his church. There was no danger, per se. This demon seemed a little more...distraught...than aggressive...

--------------------------

The main door of the apartment flew open, and everyone turned to see a single figure standing in the hallway. She was young, blonde, and her mascara had run down her face in black lines from her tears. Between her large, innocent eyes and the unicorn on her pink t-shirt, no one would have ever guessed she was a vampire.

--------------------------

--------------------------

Author's note: Sorry I have not been able to reply to all reviewers lately, but I do appreciate every note of feedback! Okay...prepare for a little bit more crossover goodness. Character bios will be up soon on my web page so I'll write a note when they're done. Next chpt - Buffy x-over character and the movie The Craft x-over character...be ready... :-)


	9. Chpt 8: Absurd Timing

Chapter Eight:

The tremors stopped as the door opened, though the blonde figure on the other side could not step through.

The relief that washed over the faces of Sid and Rebecca Malloy was enhanced by the fact that the room dropped about ten degrees. The X-Men and Brotherhood members could only watch in stunned silence as the young woman spoke raggedly through her tears.

"I...We...came as soon...as we heard..." she said, peeking inside as far as she could.

Rebecca grinned broadly, and did what you are _never_ supposed to do when a vampire is at your front door.

"Hi, Harmony, come on in," she said aloud, ignoring the puzzled glances from her guests.

Harmony Kendall burst into the condo upon the invitation, and ran over to the twins dramatically. She wrapped her arms around Rebecca's shoulders, and began to tear up again as she spoke.

"I saw it...in the paper..." she said, and then took a step back to look at her friend, "I just...can believe...a giant robot...ate your house. It didn't eat that great purse you got from the Coach outlet, did it?"

Rebecca shook her head, still grinning, "No. It's safe and sound. But it was thoughtful of you to ask."

Harmony nodded and then turned on Sid, "Oh...I when I heard you had been shot...oh, Sid, I was so worried!"

Sid almost stumbled backward as the unnaturally strong Harmony jumped to embrace him affectionately. Sid patted her back for reassurance, looking entirely uncomfortable as Harmony hung on a little longer than necessary.

Rebecca was biting her lip to keep from exploding with relieved laughter at her immortal friend's impeccable timing. She turned and noticed for the first time that the others were staring at them in gaping confusion and she shrugged.

As Harmony released Sid from her unyielding grasp, she spotted Pyro standing nearby and wiped her eyes as she smiled at him.

"Hi. I don't know you," she said quickly.

Pyro reached over and picked up an open box of tissues, offering it to the teary vampire. Then he mentally corrected himself...the very beautiful and hot teary vampire.

Harmony looked utterly touched by his polite gesture, "Oh...thank you. But I still don't know you..."

"Harm," Sid said, "These are some friends of ours who are visiting for a day or two. This is St. John Allerdyce...but you can call him Pyro."

"Mutant?" the blonde vampire asked, and all the pyretic young man could do was nodded dumbly, so she continued with a smile, "Cool."

"And Harmony's a nocturnal friend of ours..." Rebecca explained to the others quickly, and then glanced back toward the door, "Who else is with you?"

"Nancy drove," Harmony replied, and then pointed at the door, where yet another young woman stood, whom did not seem to share Harmony's distress.

In fact, she looked simply and utterly pissed. Her name was Nancy Downs, and she was the polar opposite of the weepy vampire in dress and manner. She had a short crop of dark hair, matching her outfit of choice, which was almost entirely black. She had her arms folded angrily over her chest, and she was glaring at Rebecca viciously as she entered the apartment.

"Hey, Nancy," Rebecca greeted her cheerfully, "It's great you guys decided to visit...today...right at this moment..."

Nancy narrowed her eyes, "Do you _have any idea_ how long it takes to _drive_ here from Mexico?"

Rebecca shook her head, and glanced comically at her watch, before shrugging and shaking her head again.

"_Five days_, Rebecca," Nancy answered for her, "_Five days..._equaling about a hundred and twenty hours...or seven thousand two hundred minutes..._or the four hundred and thirty-two thousand seconds I've been listening to that vampire bitch's whining!_"

"I'm not a bitch," Harmony said with a pout, and then grinned triumphantly as an inspired comeback occurred to her, "But you, Nancy, are a _witch_! Ha!"

The others all glanced at Harmony with more confusion as she laughed aloud to her own humor.

Rebecca looked sympathetically at Nancy, who rolled her eyes before storming across the room.

"Where's the tequila?" Nancy muttered, "I need a drink..."

"You came the whole way here from Mexico and didn't bring back tequila?" Sid asked as the bitter witch shoved past him.

"Be nice to her, Sid," Harmony shot sarcastically, "Or she might turn you into a..."

Before she could finish, Harmony glanced over at Toad with apologetic embarrassment.

"Oh...I...um...I mean, she'll turn you into...some other...thing...that you're...not...right now..._Sid_," Harmony stammered.

"Anything else _would_ be an improvement," Rebecca added.

Nancy just glared and began to rummage through a hidden mini-bar.

"Am I to assume," Mystique began, sounding bored, "...that these visitors were...also...unexpected?"

The twins glanced at each other, sighed heavily, and then looked over at her and nodded. Mystique pursed her lips and then sat down again in one large chair, leaning her chin against her finger tips gently, in thoughtful repose.

Gambit was still holding one of his playing cards, twirling it between his hands. He glanced over at Toad, and shrugged. He pocketed his made-shift weapon and took a seat next to Mary, who had an amused smile on her face.

As the others claimed comfortably spots around the room, Toad returned to his previous position and crouched near the wall. The room seemed very crowded now, despite its size. He watched each person carefully, unconsciously rubbing the scar on his face.

Whatever might have come from Gambit and Mystique's earlier argument had passed and any lingering tension was mostly destroyed by the sudden twist of absurd fate.

--------------------------

Sebastian Malloy yawned as he exited the elevator which had brought him up from the basement. It was shortly after sunset, and he wanted to change before heading out into the night.

Sebastian walked down the hall, stepped through the front door and then froze in his tracks.

When he saw the guests...Brotherhood...X-Men...witch...cheerleading vampire...

...he turned around, and headed back to bed.


	10. Chpt 9: Trolls, 'nuf said

Chapter Nine:

            Officer Patterson had no idea how he got into this mess.

            He had received a call for a 64 (armed robbery) at approximately 7:30 p.m.

            As he was en route to the scene, he received a correction from headquarters stating that the crime was a 464.

            _464? _Patterson had thought, _Armed robbery...with explosives?_

            But, he was NYPD, and nothing was ever unexpected.

            Well...until tonight...

            Officer Patterson watched helplessly as the group of the strange creatures wreaked havoc on the once orderly Payless Shoe store.  It would not have been so bad really...entertaining even, if he had not currently been suspended upside down.  His shoes had been removed, so as his feet started falling asleep he was able to wiggle them a little.

            _Not enough to reach my gun though_, he thought, uncertain whether he should be terrified...or just go into utter hysterics.  Instead, he just waited, turning slowly in a circle as he dangled from the ceiling, and listened to the creature's conversations.

            --------------------------

            "Blaaah," Blabberwort complained loudly, "Not leather!  It says leather.  Fakey-fake!"

            Burly grinned at his sister over his large teeth and then mocked her tone.

            "_Fakey-fake_..." he said in a grumbling sing-song voice, "Stop 'ur mouth or I'll tell Dad you pocketed those shiny boots!"

            "Aw, suck an elf," Blabberwort muttered to her brother and then tossed a shoe the third of their sibling trio.

            "Ow!" Bluebell cried angrily, hissed at both his sister and brother, "Knock it off!  If you idiots don't stop playing around Dad'll kick you both back to the 3rd Kingdom before you can..."

            "Shut up, Suck up," Blabberwort remarked angrily, "Always so crafty gettin' on Dad's good side."

            "Yeah," Burly added, "And I didn't see you gettin' to near the sparkly sticks when we put 'em near the front door..."

            "And burned up half the booty, yar boogy dwarf!" Bluebell shot back, "If we were back home, I'd toss ya in the..."

            His words were cut off as pounding footsteps began to approach from the back of the store.

            The three troll siblings exchanged frightened looks, and got quickly to their feet.

            --------------------------

            Officer Patterson was still swinging from the ceiling, but kept a steady eye on the situation.

            --------------------------

            Relish, king of the Trolls, approached his children slowly, and glared at them with disapproval.

            "I heard raised voices..." he began sternly, "Is there a problem, my three dearest?  I see the prisoner has not escaped.  Has he been properly tortured?"

            --------------------------

            Now, Officer Patterson started to get nervous.

            --------------------------

            "No, Father, sire, highness," Blabberwort blabbered quickly.

            Burly stared wide-eyed and continued after his sister, "We're waitin' for you, dad!  To begin the interrogation!"

            Relish glowered at his children for a moment, but then sighed heavily and marched toward the dangling prisoner.

            "No need to wait," Relish said, beginning to twirl the prisoner faster, "Though we'll have to make the torture quick, for we are pressed for time."

            Relish sighed heavily again and looked entirely disappointed.

            "But," he announced loudly, "Under other circumstances, this would have been a good lesson.  _What is the first rule of torture?_"

            "Rush a torture, ruin a torture," the trio replied, trying not to sound too bored.

            "Very good," Relish said, and then crouched to look the prisoner in the face, "This man is a guard of the 10th kingdom.  It may prove to be difficult to get information out of him..."

            --------------------------

            Officer Patterson was beginning to feel nauseous from all the spinning.  Little lights danced before his eyes as the blood that had rushed to his head began to spin along with him.

            --------------------------

            "Now," Relish said calmly, staring the bound officer in the face, "Tell me...and I warn you...my children are skilled at persuading the truth out of you if you lie..."

            The Troll King frowned viciously, but from Officer Patterson's point of view (and in his dizzy state) the expression looked like a pleasant smile.  Suddenly, he found himself with a face full of pink dust.

            "Okay..." Patterson said, slurring as he came under the influence of the Troll King's magic, "Sure...wha'da'ya'wanna'know..."

            "Where can we find...the nicey-nicest of your finest footwear?" Relish said in a growl.

            "Um...the mall?" the lightheaded officer muttered as the Trolls started to spin him faster, "Or...a...nightclub...?"

            Relish and his children all put hands on the man to stop his twirling.

            "Night...club..." Bluebell repeated, perplexed.

            "A club you can only use at night?" Blabberwort inquired quickly.

            "Magics, huh, Dad?" Burly said, very proud at his understanding of his mystery.

            "No, you fools!" Relish shouted, and the trio flinched.

            The Troll King turned the officer toward him again, "Tell me where I can find one of these...night...clubs..."

            Officer Patterson rolled his eyes woozily and stammered.

            "Uh...all over the city...lots of...nicey...nicey...nicey..."

            Relish smacked the man's head.

            "Nice," Patterson finished, and then grunted, "Ug...where are my toes...I can't feel...ouch, my face..._that_ wasn't nicey-nice..."

            Relish sighed heavily again and stood up.  He scratched his head and turned back toward his children, who were anxiously awaiting his next order.

            "Night...club..." Relish said thoughtfully, and then shouted to all his followers, "_Come, those of the 3rd Kingdom!  We go...to the night club!_"

            A series of cheers and rowdy calls rang through the store.

            Office Patterson began to clap, "Yeah...night club...bring your blue suede shoes..."

            Relish spun back toward him.  He took a hold of the officer's uniform and lifted him up.

            "You will tell this to no one," he hissed in the man's face, "Or you will suffer my wrath."

            As Patterson jerked back downward, the rope holding him snapped and he landed roughly on a pile of empty shoe boxes.  He watched as the growling creatures stalked out of the store, and he waved as they left.

            He sneezed, and a cloud of pink dust puffed from his lungs.  He rubbed his head, and winced as he touched a welt forming on his temple.  His vision began to clear, and he reached for his police radio clumsily.

            "HQ, come back_,_" Patterson reported slowly, ignoring the growling creature's threat to stay quiet.

            "_This is HQ.  Come back, unit 26_."

            "Unit 26," Patterson said, "Engaged prowler from earlier 464, come back."

            _"Do you need assistance, 26, come back?"_

            "Uh...no..." Patterson replied, "But I've gotta add a 243 to that, HQ, come back."

            _"243, assault on officer, confirm.  Weapon description, 26?"_

            "Ladies, size seven and a half," Patterson said, "I think I was a Stiletto..."

            --------------------------

Author's note:  Wanted to include another thanks for the reviews... as for the previous chapter... Telumiel, you asked for it!  :-)  Do you think the fact that the Troll King is named 'Relish' is a subtle tribute to Al Bundy's skill at outdoor grilling? 


	11. Chpt 10: Passing Revelations

Chapter Ten:

Around nine o'clock, the unexpectedly large group of guests and the two hosts headed out for a night on the town. The mood was pleasant and fairly boisterous considering how close a few of the guests had come to attacking each other earlier in the evening. Fortunately, the situation had calmed, though no one could really say anything had been resolved. For now, two automobiles carried the guests peacefully into the heart of New York City.

Toad was sitting in the front passenger seat of Rebecca's blue sedan and was scowling uncomfortably. He was all too accustomed to being the driver of vehicles when he was traveling or on a mission for Magneto. However, it did give him time to study the electronic list he was carrying before they reached their destination. And, he was grateful not to be stuck in Pyro's place right now...even though Pyro seemed to be having the time of his life.

The group had divided itself easily between the two cars. Mystique had not hesitated in choosing the vehicle Sid was driving, which also would be transporting Remy and Mary. Toad figured she wanted to keep a close eye on the mutants from Xavier's school, though she probably would be more hesitant to start an argument without back up from her teammate.

So, that left Toad and Pyro to fend for themselves with the three other females. Since Rebecca was driving, Pyro was stuck riding bitch between one angry witch and one hormonal vampire. He had a ridiculous grin on his face as the two attractive young women bickered back and forth, occasionally tugging on his jacket or his arm as they called out for his opinion on their argument.

"That's _not true..._" Harmony said, drawing out the last word for emphasis, "Just because they say hell dimensions are full of fire doesn't mean people like John or Becca are part _demon..._"

Nancy glared at the blonde vampire and grinned, "I'm not saying they're part demon. I'm simply saying that in the past their ancestors must have had some unnatural influence on them that created their power over fire."

Harmony blew exasperated air through her lips, "No. You're _so wrong._ I know about being a demon..._trust me_...and John is not part demon..."

Nancy sighed, "I didn't _say he was_. I'm just saying there a little demonic influence in his past," Then Nancy grinned wickedly, "Take the bitch driving right now...she's got an evil streak."

"Agreed," the driver chimed in amicably and then glanced over at Toad and whispered, "There're muzzles in the glove box if we need 'em."

Toad smirked, "How about ear plugs?"

Rebecca chuckled and noticed he was staring intently at a small handheld computer.

"What's that?" she asked curiously. Toad considered stowing the device away quickly, but instead continued to read the list of names and powers. He did not look over at her as he replied.

"Magneto wants a report about this mission," he offered in partial truth, "He wants to know what sort of mutants Pyro's been meetin'."

"Taking notes?" Rebecca asked with a grin, and then glanced at him again, "Well, don't count Harm and Nancy. Neither of them are mutants."

Toad's jerked his head to the left and frowned with surprise.

"They're not?" he asked sharply and Rebecca shook her head.

"Nope," she replied, noticing his tone but keeping her own conversational, "Harmony was just an average high school chick when she was brought across. At least, she never told me she had any powers before hand. Mutants lose their gifts once the change to vampire is complete, and I'm sure Harm would've complained about it if she had..."

Rebecca shrugged and took a breath before continuing. Toad was staring straight ahead as she spoke, absorbing her revelation. He had just assumed anyone who was friends with the twins had to be mutants because...well, the twins were mutants. The idea of associating with normal humans never occurred to him and he felt disconcerted...almost deceived...by the fact that the two young women in the back seat were, or had been, only human. He wondered what Magneto would think about his Brotherhood taking company with the enemy...

"Nancy, on the other hand," Rebecca finally said, "She's a different story. When Harm said she was a witch, that was the truth. Nancy _is_ a witch in every practicing sense. She began dabbling when she was young and she was...unprepared for the consequences. She's been through a lot and worked very hard to control the powers she has gained..."

"Gained?" Toad asked darkly, "Wha'd'you mean _gained_?"

Rebecca frowned and glanced at him again. His sudden changes in mood continued to catch her off guard, and the anger in his voice was scathing.

"Dabbling usually has bad effects on people," Rebecca answered, "People can get lost in the magics if their not careful..."

Toad was shaking his head, and glanced down at the small computer again before he let out a soft, irate, slightly unstable laugh.

"Humans...who wan'to be mutants..." he muttered to himself.

"No quite..." Rebecca replied with a soft frown, "I'm sorry if you didn't realize...there was no way you would've know they weren't mutants."

Toad did not reply. He stared down at the scrolling names on the screen and noticed one mutant's code name was 'Scarlet Witch.' He frowned and wondered if that witch was truly a mutant...or just another human trying to be one.

--------------------------

Sid's car was keeping pace with Rebecca's as they drove through the city. He and Remy were in the front seats, comparing notes on the fine art of 'wenching' and discussing various female conquests each had made over the years...keeping their dialogue appropriate, of course, in consideration of the ladies riding with them.

Mystique kept a pleasant smile on her face, quietly amused by how innocently smug the two men seemed to be, though her eyes stayed sharp and wary of the other passengers.

Mary was seated next to her, and kept glancing at the blue mutant. Mystique mistook her expression for anxiety, but Mary was really just trying to decide whether or not to ask the other woman the question that was nagging in her mind. Mary's power did that sometimes; she would not have a real vision, but just a lingering feeling that there was something very important she did not know or understand yet. Every since her first encounter with Mystique, the impression of Kurt kept jumping into Mary's mind, and she was beginning to doubt it was solely due to the lady's outer resemblance to him.

"Afraid I'm going to start a war before we get there, my dear?" Mystique finally asked in a low voice, and turned her head to look at the girl complacent smile, "Don't worry. As long as you two don't call the rest of the X-Men here and don't interrupt our dealings with the Malloy family, you won't have any trouble tonight."

"I'm not one of the X-Men," Mary said firmly, "I went to the Professor for help with my power. And I know he was in support of Pyro training with Rebecca..."

"His support is unnecessary and _unwanted_," Mystique replied without losing her agreeable tone, "Xavier had warped the boy's perceptions enough before he came to the Brotherhood."

Mary repressed her own angry retort, and decided to test her theory about the blue woman directly.

"Kurt is doing well there," she said simply, not surprised at all as Mystique's arrogant expression cracked with shock. It was quickly replaced, however, by utter fury.

"I don't know what you're talking about..." she replied harshly, but not convincingly.

Mary sighed and looked apologetic, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I just thought you would want to know."

"How did _you_ know?" Mystique asked sharply, "Xavier would never..."

"No," Mary interrupted, "He wouldn't. He'd never tell a new student anything too personal about anyone else in his care. And, as far as I know, Kurt doesn't know. That's what my power is...seeing things other people can't. When I passed you in the Malloys' home, I just got the sudden impression of him in my head and..."

"Stop," Mystique said quietly, her features softening with regret, and her eyes looking tired, "Please...stop..."

"I'm sorry," Mary repeated, "I just thought it was fair to tell you. But, trust me when I say your secret is safe with me. Even from Xavier..."

"Can you keep things like that from him?" Mystique asked, glancing over at the girl, who shrugged.

"I don't know," Mary admitted, "But...Kurt's curious about you though. About both of his parents...where he came from. He wants to know."

Mystique glared at her, "Is that what you think? He would want to _know_ me, who I am. I'm his enemy. Would he want to know his mother is his enemy?"

"Kurt has no enemies," Mary said firmly, and the conviction in her voice was resolute. Mystique did not reply, but watched Mary for another moment before turning to look straight ahead again.

Sid and Remy had not noticed their conversation, and were talking merrily as Sid pulled the car into a hidden parking garage. Mary wondered uncertainly if she should have reveled her knowledge of Kurt's origins to his mother, but it suddenly felt as if a great weight had been lifted from her chest, and Mary took that as a sign she had done the right thing.

--------------------------

As the pair of cars, along with many others, gathered in the private garage of the Muddy Duck nightclub, dozens of gleeful and menacing eyes watched them from one dark alley.

King Relish had his hands on his hips as he stared up as the neon sign, as the words 'night' and 'club' blinked on and off enticingly. The other trolls were fascinated by the lights and the pounding beat echoing from the stone building.

"Night...club..." Relish said with a large grin.

"I love ducks!" Blue Bell exclaimed in anticipation, "Even raw! With feathers!"

Relish and the other trolls rumbled in laughter as they watch their victims file into the club's front doors. There were two large men at the entrance, allowing some people in and turning others away. Relish frowned deeply and ground his teeth in thought.

"Guards..." he mumbled unhappily, "I should have know..."

"What do we do now, dad?" Blabberwort asked loudly, and Relish glared at her.

"Quiet..." he said and then turned back toward the neon lights, "We'll wait for the crowd to enter... then...we attack..."

--------------------------

Author's note: Since the next few chapters have to do with music from the late 70s/early 80s, I dedicate the next few chapters to funk master Rick James. R.I.P.


	12. Chpt 11: In Da Club

Chapter Eleven:

As they exited the parking garage, Rebecca led her passengers toward the club's very conspicuous front doors. For the Underground, sometimes plain sight was the best place to hide. For others, that was not always the case.

Toad shifted his jacket uncomfortably and resisted the instinct to pull his hood over his face. But as he approached the gathered crowd, no one spared him a second glance. They skipped the line, drawing a few dirty glances from the waiting patrons. Toad watched them suspiciously, but blinked and shook his head as he headed through the front door. Had he just seen someone with horns?

The entrance to the club opened into a short hallway. Harmony squealed excitedly and greeted the bouncers, two identically dressed, identically looking large men who stood in front of a beaded curtain. Their equally muscular arms were folded over their broad chests and they regarded the new guests menacingly. However, the blonde vampire grabbed Pyro's hand and ran past them, forward into a sea of loud music. Nancy reached the end of the hall and the guards shifted apart and gave her a wide berth. She sneered at them and laughed. She found their wary recognition extremely entertaining.

Toad approached the bouncers cautiously. He glanced back and noticed that Rebecca had paused. She was still staring outside and had an annoyed look on her face. After a moment, she turned and walked toward him.

"Sid and crew must be inside already," she said and he nodded before continuing on.

As he reached the guards, the bouncer the right held up a halting hand. Toad glared up at the taller man viciously, until he heard the man's words.

"I.D.?"

Toad frowned, and gaped for a moment until the second guard laughed.

"He's just kidding, man," the second twin remarked with a surprisingly good natured tone, "You're new...we always like messing with new people. Oh, hey, Malloy..." the bouncer said, grinning at Rebecca, "...Your bro's already inside..."

"Yeah, I figured," she replied and then patted both bouncers once on their folded arms as she and Toad entered the Muddy Duck.

The world of sound they stepped into seemed to have a life of its own. The base was heavy, the melody was fast. At the right side of the club was a large central stage, where a band was entertaining a writhing mass of dancers gathered in the middle of the floor. To the left was a long mirrored bar, which curved into the shape of the letter S. Rebecca tugged on Toad's arm and yelled to him over the music.

"I'm gonna go find Sid and see where the hell everyone else is!" she shouted and then grinned, "Pretty awesome place, huh? Check it out... but we have a booth near the back if you need a breather!"

Toad nodded, not even making an attempt to be heard above the noise and watched Rebecca walk off. When he was sure she was out of sight, Toad moved to a dark corner and drew Magneto's small computer out of his jacket pocket. He scrolled through the names and descriptions quickly, refreshing his memory as he watched each person rotate around him. He hoped weathering all this noise would be worth it, and he would be able to get Magneto the information he requested.

---------------------------

Rebecca shifted her way through the mass of people gathered at the bar, until she spotted a familiar form in the crowd. She scowled angrily as she approached her brother.

"Hey, guys," she said with an exaggerated grin, "Nice to meet you here."

Sid turned and smiled warmly down at his sister. Remy was standing nearby, chatting with a beautiful blonde woman in a long white dress. Mary was seated at the bar stool next to them and Rebecca stared at the trio with surprise when she realized the blonde woman was Mystique. Unlike Toad, she was taking no chances tonight and staying perfectly disguised among the crowd.

"Hey, Bec," Sid said suavely, "Nice of you to join us."

Rebecca narrowed her eyes and examined Sid's outfit. He was decked out in a dark purple suit, one of his all time favorites. Then she looked at Remy, who was wearing a dark blue suit, which looked only slightly shiny in the dim light.

"I was just introducing Remy and the others to a few of our friends..." Sid began before he noticed the amused look on his sister's face, "What?"

"You look like the Roxbury guys," she said loud enough for Remy to hear. The Cajun stepped toward her and stood next to Sid proudly.

"Not a bad criticism for two styling gentlemen out seeking feminine companionship on this fine night," Remy stated, wearing the same self-important expression as Sid, "Now, madame Mystique...If I may continue our very pleasant conversation..."

Rebecca rolled her eyes and glared back at Sid. He simply continued to grin and began to shake his head rhythmically to the beat.

"_What is love..._" he sang to her smoothly, "_Baby, don't hurt me... no more..._"

"You are an embarrassment to this entire organization," Rebecca said angrily and Sid frowned.

"What organization?" he asked innocently, enjoying her instigated wrath.

"The one that was forcibly created between the two of us when we popped out of the same womb!" she shouted before shoving past him. Sid laughed and took note of her scathing remark for future reference.

Rebecca composed herself quickly as she walked up to Mary.

"Sorry about that," she said, "I don't do great in pushy crowds."

Mary grinned, "Yeah...this is a little..." Her eyes widened as a fight broke out at the other end of the bar. Rebecca glanced over at the dueling idiots and nodded.

"I know what you mean..." she replied and the pointed toward a much quieter section of the club, "Come on...Nancy and Harm are probably at our table already. Let's let the boys alone while the work their thing...or whatever. Mystique...you're welcome to join us."

"Thank you...but I'm comfortable here..." Mystique replied with a smile, and narrowed her eyes. She could see nearly everyone present from this vantage point. For her, this was not a night of leisure, but watchful investigation.

---------------------------

Rebecca helped Mary navigate the crowd until they reached a private booth. As predicted, Harmony and Pyro were already seated, enjoying beverages and chatting happily. Rebecca suppressed grin as she noticed they were _almost_ holding hands. Nancy was on the other side of the table, legs outstretched as she watched the band, and smoked a cigarette calmly. The two new arrivals took their seats as Harmony began to complain.

"Ug...when is Oz's band going to be on..." she said, and then smiled at Pyro, "Oz's band in _much_ better. Not as good as back in Sunnydale, but still really good..."

"I like _this_ band..." Nancy remarked, simply for the sake of argument. Rebecca grinned over at her cynical friend and shook her head.

"Girls...play nice...we have guests..." Rebecca replied as Nancy snuffed out the end of her spent smoke.

"Whatever, Malloy," she replied, and shook another cigarette from the box. She waggled it teasingly in the air and glared at the fire manipulating mutants wickedly, "Anyone got a match?"

Before she could ask twice, Pyro skillfully snapped out his shark-toothed lighter and took the flame in his hand before offering it to the witch. She winked at him and grinned before touching her cigarette to the fire. The crowd around them erupted into applause as the band finished their set and headed off the stage.

"_Finally..._" Harmony said with a heavy sigh and then frowned, "Hey, where's that Toad guy who was with us?"

Rebecca grinned and shrugged, "Partying, I guess. Good for him."

Pyro tapped his fingers nervously against the table, "I don't think so...he's not really the partying type..."

"You still wanna introduce Toad and Mystique to Lance later on?" Rebecca asked him.

"Who's Lance?" Mary asked just as the crowd started to scream and cheer widely. Pyro pointed toward the new band gathering on stage.

"Bass player..." he said, as the lights around them dimmed.

A deep rumble beneath their feet accompanied the first chords of the band's first song.

---------------------------

Author's note: This note is actually about my other fic-in-progress. I'm looking for two movie/book/comic villains who have a bit of a vicious, animal nature akin to the likes of Wolverine and Sabretooth to use in my Firestarter fic. I have been struggling to think of one...let alone two...so I'm open to any suggestions. Crossover characters are good...so are other X-Men villains who we might not have met yet. Let me know if anyone has any ideas via review or email! Thanks!


	13. Chpt 12: M

Chapter Thirteen:

As the music began, everyone in the club fell into a strange silence.

The opening chords were slow and melodic, as if lulling the audience into a captive trance. Then, there was a deep rumble as the bass guitar began to challenge the lead's calm pace. The amps shuttered but not entirely because of the music. As the song continued, they audience began to clap and scream as the very ground beneath their feet seemed to move. The lyrics would have been lost over the crowds cries had most of the people not been singing along.

As they band played, the cycle continued through each song on their set list. The melody...the rumble of the base...the haunting lyrics that everyone instinctively seemed to know.

Only one figure in the club remained completely silent as the sounds filled the air around him.

Toad crouched in one dark corner away from the crowd, though caught his concentration constantly slipping from the small computer in his hands to the controlled chaos around him. He frowned and read the names and descriptions on the screen over and over again, trying to spot any familiar traits in those who passed him. But then the music would draw him in again, and he would catch himself nodding rhythmically to the beat.

Even though he did not express himself with the same wild shrieks and applause as the rest of the spectators, he was surprised to find that he was actually enjoying what he was hearing. It certainly matched Pyro's taste, he decided, grinning slightly as he remembered the boy's first scolding by Mystique about blasting the noise through the Island. Fortunately, the kid had the Lady Deathstrike as a supplier, since she knew how effectively the promise of music motivated Pyro to complete tasks.

Toad had never really thought much about music, both during his harsh childhood and his time with Magneto. It had always been just something that was either there or not...like the tapping of rain or the constant hums from the Island's machinery. But it was different, sitting here listening to the sounds live rather than a recording. There was a passion behind it, or an anger, whatever the song was about at the time.

After a while, Toad finally admitted to himself that he would not be able to do a proper search with all the noise around him and he put the small computer back into the depths of his jacket. He did not admit to himself that he had begun tapping his fingers to the rhythmic percussion. He leapt to his feet and went in search of the others.

He also did not notice a pair of cold eyes watching him from the bar. Mostly because the owner of those eyes was not her typical blue-skinned self.

Mystique had kept careful track of everyone in their little entourage. Most of them were gathered in the private booth to her left, while Sid Malloy and Remy LeBeau busied themselves by catching willing young ladies and coaxing them onto the dance floor. It had taken her a little longer to spot Toad in the shadows, but it came as no surprise to her that he had immediately hidden himself. He was being as watchful of the situation as she was.

However, when a strange, soft glow had shone against his green face, Mystique and shifted her entire attention to him. She wondered what he was staring at over there in the privacy of his lonely hiding spot. It could not have been a cell phone or a Palm Pilot or any nonsense like that. The Brotherhood had their own communication devices to stay in contact with each other, and Toad had no reason to keep a personal organizer or address book. Yet, as she watched him, she found curiosity nagging at her. If Magneto had given Toad some other instruction for this mission, he would have told her. Their leader kept nothing from Mystique...

But what if he did? It had been a question she had been asking herself ever since this foolishness with the Malloy family began. With so many young mutants appearing everyday (she had picked out several in the crowd herself tonight), then why was Erik so insistent on finding older powerful mutants, who may prove more of a threat than allies.

Mystique continued to watch her teammate carefully, until Toad finally got to his feet and walked toward the Malloys' private table. She had seen him tuck something into his pocket, and she narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

* * *

The band was wrapping up their set by the time Toad found his way to the private booth where Pyro and the others were sitting. They greeted him in loud voices so they could be heard above the music and he took the end seat next to Rebecca and the girl from Xavier's school who had introduced herself as Mary. Pyro, Harmony and Nancy were also still seated around the table and they all began to clap loudly as the band finished their last song, and announced that they needed a little breather.

Toad frowned as two members of the breaking musicians wandered over to the table and greeted the others with surprise.

"Hey, you guys made it," the shorter of the pair said, smiling appreciatively.

"Well, duh, Oz!" Harmony replied happily, "When Pyro told me you guys were playing here tonight, we had to come. After all, we're both from the same town so that almost makes us something..."

Oz nodded politely in return, taking note of the annoyed expression on Nancy's face as her friends chattered on.

"And what does that make me, babe?" the second musician asked with mock offense. He was taller than Oz, and several piece of his dark hair fell over his face. Before Harmony could reply to his question, Nancy offered her own explanation.

"The illegitimate love child of Ozzy Osborne and the San Andreas Fault," she spat, sneering up at the dark haired young man daringly.

"Nice to see you too, Nance," he replied with a grin, and then turned to Rebecca, "Saw your bro tearing up the crowd...tell him that's a great jacket..."

Rebecca laughed in appreciation of his sarcasm and nodded, "I know. It's so embarrassing. By the way, since I'm the only one playing proper host, let me introduce you guys to the others. Mary...Toad...meet Lance Alvers and Oz...um, just Oz."

"Cool..." Oz replied and nodded toward them, "Thanks for coming out. We'll catch you guys again after the show. We gotta get some hydration before the next set starts."

As Lance and Oz walked off toward the bar, Pyro leaned toward Toad and spoke in a low voice.

"He's a mutant," he said, "Lance's the one I was telling you guys about..."

Toad turned slightly so he could watch the two younger men as they walked away. Then, he finally spotted Mystique for the first time since arriving in the club. She had morphed, of course, into a very stunning, very _normal_ looking woman, and he knew she would be watching the crowd closely for recruits.

"What about the other one?" Toad asked as he turned back to face the others.

"Well...Oz is different..." Rebecca replied hesitantly.

"Not a mutant?" Toad asked sharply, remembering the conversation they had in the car on their way to the club.

Rebecca shook her head, but it was Harmony who answered.

"No, he's a werewolf," she said in a matter-of-fact way that made the knowledge of Oz's condition seem commonplace.

However, Mary had been unfortunately sipping at her drink as the blonde vampire spoke, and began to sputter and cough at the revelation. Toad's reaction was a little less dramatic, but no less surprised.

"What?" he said simply, his heavy accent making the word come out like 'wot.'

Rebecca sighed heavily and gave Harmony an uncharacteristic glare, which was customarily ignored. Nancy, on the other hand, was chuckling merrily at her friend's lack of tact.

"Werewolf," Harmony repeated, and then frowned at everyone's strange reactions, "What? Like that's so weird?"

Rebecca sighed heavily and handed Mary and glass of water. After she was certain the other girl was breathing again, Rebecca decided to change the subject.

"So...have you gotten any new ideas about your vision?" she asked.

"Um...no..." Mary admitted, and then shrugged, "To be honest, I haven't really been thinking about it..."

Rebecca grinned, "That could be good, too. I mean you live at a school...I can't imagine how often you just get to go out and chill, right?"

Mary nodded, and then noticed Nancy looking at her with honest curiosity.

"What vision?" she asked before exhaling her last lung full of cigarette smoke.

"Well...it's kind of weird..." Mary began slowly, suddenly nervous with everyone listening to her strange story, but to her surprise, the gothic looking witch gave her an understanding smile.

"Don't worry, chick..." Nancy said with a grin, and held out her arms for emphasis as she spoke, "You are currently in the heart of weirdness. Tell me about your vision."

Mary gave Nancy and the others the condensed version of the dream she had before Professor Xavier sent her and Remy on this trip to New York City. She tried to be as descriptive as she could, from the creatures' appearance to the shoes to the disco music.

After she was finished, Nancy snuffed out her cigarette and said one word before lighting the next.

"Trolls."

"What?" Mary asked, repeating what seemed to be the question of the night.

"Trolls," Nancy repeated, "You just gave the Webster's definition."

"How do you know?" Rebecca asked incredulously, and Nancy scowled at her in annoyance.

"_Everybody_ knows Trolls like disco!" Nancy answered back, angry at the ignorance of those around her.

Rebecca blinked, and glanced to her right at Toad.

"Did you know that?" she asked and then began to grin, earning another glare from her witchy friend, "Cause I didn't know that..."

Toad frowned deeply as he watched the young women discuss Mary's vision. He got the sudden and infuriating impression that this entire club experience was a set up just to play some kind of elaborate joke on people...specifically..._him_.

"Trolls?" Toad asked angrily, and then glanced at the others, "Werewolves? Vampires? I thought this place was for mutants not _bloody Halloween._"

"Um..._nooo_..." Harmony replied immediately, sounding utterly insulted, "That is _so cliché!_"

Then, her face lit up happily as the lights dimmed and Oz's band once again took the stage.

"Come on, Pyro," she said ducking under the table and taking him with her. They immerged on the other side and Pyro was helplessly drug to the dance floor.

Toad gaped at them for a moment before folding his arms and shaking his head. Rebecca leaned over and whispered loudly to him.

"_Now you know why being attacked by the Sentinel never struck me as strange..."_ she said before calling the waitress for another round of shots.

* * *

Author's note: Troll action soon! I promise! Just had to make the introductions! P.S. – I was listening to Breaking Benjamin while I wrote this and I imagine Oz's band sorta sounds like them. But, seriously...keep the disco ready...


	14. Chpt 13:

Chapter Fifteen:

"Let me go, man!" Pyro shouted as Toad dragged him unceremoniously from the dance floor, "Harmony's out there fighting those things! I gotta save her!"

Toad shook his head sadly as he pulled the love struck pyretic behind the bar with the others. Lance and Oz were quickly trying to hook up the dusty sound system as Mary and Nancy dug threw a box of unlabeled compact disc cases, opening each in search of those two magic words... Bee Gees.

"She's out there!" Pyro said, whirling angrily at his teammate, "I've gotta help her!"

Toad tilted his head slightly and stared over the young man's shoulder with a frown that quickly changed into an amused smirk.

"Maybe it's just me..." he replied, "But I don't think she _needs_ your help, mate..."

Pyro turned to see what Toad was talking about, when Harmony and one unfortunate Troll flew over the bar, and the blonde vampire in question proceeded to beat the living daylights out of her opponent. After she let out her cry of victory, Pyro stepped around the others quickly to reach her, just in case the Troll miraculously recovered from his current concussion.

Toad shook his head sadly again and crouched next to Nancy and Mary. They were still searching unsuccessfully for the right music.

"Dammit... _dammit... DAMMIT!_" Nancy shouted at no one in particular, "Would a fucking label maker have been too much of an investment?! Here... _here... HERE!_"

She dumped part of the box at Toad's feet as she continued to shout, "_Open those! We have to find the fucking disco!_"

Toad ignored the witch (bitch) and leapt up onto the bar to see if Remy's beheading had begun yet.

------------------------

The hoard of Trolls charged forward, their collective focus shifting from desirable footwear to the panicking Cajun and his 'allies.' None of them seemed anxious to follow after Harmony, so they rushed in a far circle away from the bar and enclosed the exposed trio quickly.

"_Mon Dieu_," Remy squeaked out, "I should have brought more cards with me. Becca, throw a fire ball at them or something, _chere_!"

"Really...not a great idea to start a fire over an alcohol soaked floor," she replied, "Any other bright ideas?"

"Why don't we take a few minutes and talk about it..." Sid said, already focusing his power on the discarded bottles scattered around the club.

A solid wall of glass quickly shot up from the ground in between them and the angry Trolls. The first line of creatures ran full force into the semi-transparent shield, followed quickly by the next wave. The Trolls poked and knocked on the wall with surprise. Some began pressing their gnarled faces against the surface, flattening their cheeks and mouths into strange shapes. A few had even started licking the wall and strangely nodding with approval.

"Father!" they heard a voice shout, "The magic wall tastes like ale!" Which was quickly followed by, "Shut up, you fools! Find a way in!"

"Now what?" Sid asked, holding out a hand toward the wall as the Trolls struggled against it.

"I though you had a bright idea?" Remy asked, picking up a pool cue from the floor and twirling it in his hands experimentally.

"This was my bright idea!" Sid shouted back, "Someone else's turn to think..."

Rebecca spotted Toad jump out from behind the bar and called out to him.

"You guys find any disco yet?" she asked, but Remy spoke up before Toad could reply.

"_Disco_? _Why are you looking for disco? _Why not a machine gun_, oui?_" the Cajun asked, waving his recovered pool cue in the air dramatically.

"_No, we haven't found it yet!_" Nancy shouted before Toad could reply, "_So just shut up and stall, for God's sake!_"

"_Remy tried that!_" the Cajun shouted back, again before Toad could reply, "_That is what pissed them off in the first place, no!_"

"Uh, oh," Sid said (this time Toad had not even attempted to chime in), "Uh... guys?"

The force of the Trolls against the glass barrier started causing small cracks to appear along the outside. The new weakness was not lost on the creatures, and they began to pound the wall with their fists.

"Sound board's up!" Lance called out, getting to his feet and climbing quickly over the bar, "Could you guys use some help?"

"Professional," Rebecca replied, "Certified and professional..."

"Somehow I doubt talk therapy would do much for those guys," Oz added in typical Oz fashion as he also slid over the bar.

An audible crack sounded through the club as pieces of Sid's glass wall began to fall away. The Trolls roared triumphantly and began forcing their way through from the other side.

"Here we go," Sid said, preparing to release his hold on the wall, "Just in case, Gambit... you might wanna kiss your head goodbye..."

Remy scowled (not appreciating Sid's humor on nearly the same level as a certain green-skinned Englishman) and held the billiard's stick out in front of him protectively. He was not worried. He was with his allies, after all... his friends. They would not allow those Trolls to kill their favorite Cajun. They would put up a good fight. They would defeat their enemies with their incredible supernatural and mutant powers... and with disco...

"I am going to die," Remy said aloud as the Trolls finally shattered a section of the glass wall and charged toward him again.__


	15. Chpt 14:

Chapter Fifteen:

Remy approached the King of the Trolls once again. However, the creatures did not seem to notice him beneath the unearthly glow of the shoes. The trolls were captivated, and their eyes filled with greed as the Cajun offered up Mystique's 'magic' high heels.

Using the control he had learned during his training in the Danger Room, Remy focused the kinetic energy of the objects in his hands with care. He could feel the power growing and marked his targets without letting his gaze slip from the Troll King's face.

"_I want them_," Relish repeated, reaching his clawed fingers out eagerly toward his prize, "_Give them to me._"

Remy shrugged and began to smirk, "Very well, _ami_. Whatever you say..."

With a quick flip of his wrists, Remy sent the shoes flying in opposite directions across the crowded nightclub. There were scattered cried of distress, both from the frightened patrons, and the mob of Trolls, who reached their arms in the air in a futile attempt to snatch the shining treasures for their own. For Trolls are known for their greed and are easily blinded by it. So, it really should not have been a shock for them when they were blinded a second time...

Each charged shoe impacted one of the many large lamps overhanging the dance floor. The resulting explosions caused a flash of bright light in the shadowy room, which made everyone... Trolls, mutants, humans, miscellaneous... cover their eyes in surprised pain. Bright orange and red sparks burst from the damaged lights, showering down on the crowd, who once again began to flee in terror.

Remy forced his way back to the bar, reaching out for guidance and rubbing his eyes in an attempt to get rid of his own attack's afterimages. He cursed loudly in that beautiful language known at _francais._ He was really hoping some of the women he was inadvertent grabbing would not understand the words and just think he was trying to be romantic.

He let out a loud _oof_ as he ran into a stool near the bar. Then, he noticed a familiar voice laughing with amusement beneath the confusion around him. When he finally got part of his vision back, Remy realized Mystique was sitting less than ten feet away, still in the same place she had been when he had taken her sacrifice of fashion.

"Nice work, X-Man," she said with a wicked grin, "Now instead of just getting robbed, we'll probably all be trampled and killed as well..."

Remy nodded with guilt and sighed, "_Oui_..._Je sais..._ Seemed like a good idea when I thought it... _mais,_ it is good to know that Remy can still make a room go crazy, no?"

"Crazy," Mystique repeated in agreement, and then smirked again as she stared over his shoulder, "They certainly to seem to have that look..."

Remy frowned and turned to see what she was talking about. The Troll King had apparently recovered his vision and was now shouting orders to his troops. Remy felt all the blood rush out of his face when he heard the Troll King's words.

"Forget about the rest of this rabble, you fools!" Relish roared above the din, "_Bring me THAT MAN'S HEAD!_"

The Troll King leveled one horridly long finger at the offending Cajun. Remy spun back toward Mystique, and bowed politely.

"_Pardon, Madame_," he said quickly, "Remy hates to be rude but..."

Without another word, the X-Man called Gambit sprinted toward the back of the club, not only to put space between himself and the Troll King, but also because he spotted some familiar allies...

---------------------------

Among the patrons on the crowded dance floor, only Harmony had not flinched when the bright explosions began above them. In many ways, the Trolls were lucky they had not gotten a chance to try to take her shoes by force. Despite her very capricious outlook on life, she was still a vampire. A vicious and now very angry vampire, who had not taken the creature's threats lightly.

Pyro had ducked when Remy threw the shoes, but took quick advantage of the sparks showering down around them. He plucked on from the air before it snuffed out, and used his powers to create a small flame in his hand. He stood up slowly, not really paying any attention to the crowd shoving around him. His entire focus had shifted to the blonde girl he had been dancing with. He could feel fury coming off of her like... well, like heat.

"They..." Harmony began slowly, her voice shaking with rage, "...wanted... to steal... my shoes..."

Pyro frowned and glanced around anxiously, "Don't worry, Harm. I won't let anybody touch..."

"_They..._" Harmony began again, barring her teeth, "_...wanted... to steal... MY SHOES!_"

"Um...yeah," Pyro said, taking a nervous step away from her, "But they won't now cause..."

"_They wanted..._" she began a third time, "..._to steal... my limited edition, one of a kind, eight hundred dollar, worn by Gweneth Paltro, PRADA SHOES!_"

"Eight hundred dollars just for shoes?" Pyro asked and then jumped as Harmony whirled toward him with outrage.

"_Do you know how many people I had to kill to get these shoes?_" she asked him, or at him.

"Uhhh..." Pyro managed nervously before she ranted again.

This time, she addressed her interrogation to the entire room.

"_Do any of you realize how many old and sweaty security guards I had to suck dry in order to get THESE SHOES!?!?_"

She did not wait for an answer. Harmony's face shifted into the grotesque mask of a vampire and she lunged toward the first Troll she could find.

Pyro was left standing alone on the dance floor, abandoned by the rest of the crowd and his 'date,' but he did not seem to mind. He simply stared after the blonde vampire dreamily and sighed.

"She is so hot when she's angry," he muttered to himself until someone grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and drug him toward the bar.

---------------------------

There was a bright flash from above the dance floor. When the crowd began to panic, Toad glanced out from behind the stage to see what had happened. He heard the head Troll shouting angrily and calling for someone's head. Toad did not need anyone to tell him _whose_ head the creature was referring to, and he chuckled with amusement.

"_Oy_!" Toad called back to the others, "They're gonna cut off the Cajun's head! Gotta camera, anyone?"

The rest of their little group began to gather around him for a peak at the chaos... except for Oz, who calmly got to his feet and walked to the rear of the stage.

"Whoa..." the mutant named Lance said with a grin, "Those are some pissed off Trolls..."

"Oh, great..." Rebecca said with a sigh, "The whole mob of them are after him. Now what?"

"I just told you w'ot," Toad shot back, "...Though video would be better."

"Can do," Oz said, dodging the last few fleeing clubbers. He had a small camera in one hand and a tri-pod in the other. He did not notice Mary and Rebecca's horrified expression as he began to set up the tape.

"Disco, you idiots," Nancy suddenly growled. The others looked at her dumbly, before she rolled her eyes and continued, "_We need disco_... Jesus, don't you people study _any_ of the ancient texts?"

"Oh, sure, right after my anatomy final," Rebecca replied angrily and got to her feet.

Nancy glared at her and stood up next to her, "Listen to me! Aggression doesn't work with Trolls..."

"And you're saying _disco_ will?" Rebecca shouted back.

"Yeah, Miss Ignorant! It will!" Nancy argued, ignoring worried prompts from the others to quiet down. Some of the Trolls were starting to notice their hiding spot.

"Uh...hey, chickas...you wanna keep it down?" Lance asked nervously.

"No, no," Oz said, peering through the camera's eye piece, "Wait...this is good stuff."

Toad glanced back at him and laughed, "You're one cracked werewolf, mate..."

"Video postcard," Oz explained with a shrug, "To send back to Sunnydale."

Meanwhile, the verbal cat-fight continued...

"_That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard!_" Rebecca shouted again.

"_YOU'RE the stupidest thing I've ever heard!_" Nancy retorted.

"_What the hell does that mean?_" the firestarter asked loudly.

"_I guess you're too stupid to know_," the witch fired back.

_"What kind of witch studies the art of DISCO, anyway?_" Rebecca asked, flailing her arms with frustration.

Nancy's eyes blazed, "_The same kind that's gonna kick your..._"

"I think she's right," Mary said suddenly, stopping the argument dead. Her voice had been calm and low, but somehow it had been powerful enough to stop their debate.

"What?" everyone except Oz echoed, who threw them a thumbs-up for choreography.

"I think Nancy's right...about the disco..." Mary explained, glancing at each of them in turn, "My vision... I heard it in my vision... It's the only part that has not yet been fulfilled..."

Her words created a strange calm among them, and left no room for argument. Toad shifted uncomfortably under her brief gaze, but her affect seemed to help sort out his confusion. If he had ever thought to talk to the others about it, he would have discovered each of them had experienced the same thing when Mary's eyes had fallen on them. A quick calm, a sudden resting of their nerves, and a new focus on what needed to be done.

Toad was the first one to reply, "So... Where're we gonna find disco?"

As absurd as those words could have been, they did not sound at all abnormal when he said them. Mary's brief speech seemed to give them sense.

"There's a CD jukebox behind the bar," Oz replied, "I'm pretty sure there'll be a 70's album in there..."

Rebecca nodded and gave Nancy an apologetic smile. The witch folded her arms and shrugged, accepting the act of contrition completely, grudge forgotten.

"He's right," Lance agreed, "They have a retro night in here every other Saturday..."

"We'll have to mark it on our event's calendar," Rebecca said and then glanced toward the bar, "We better get over there...quick... before Remy looses his head..."

Lance ran out first, followed quickly by Nancy and Mary. Rebecca was on their heels, before she heard some bark angrily from behind her. She glanced back and grinned when she spotted Toad dragging Pyro off the dance floor by the back of his coat. The young man looked a little 'twitterpated,' as the Disney folks would say.

"Becca!" Sid's voice suddenly called from the bar.

"Hey!" she greeted her brother happily, "I thought you were supposed to be baby-sitting our little Cajun. He seems to have run amok!"

"Yeah, no shit," Sid replied as he walked up to her, and then smiled broadly and pointed, "Why... here comes the great gambler now!"

Remy stumbled up beside them and embraced them both with comical relief.

"_Mes amis!_" he announced grandly, "Remy is so glad to see you! Remy thinks he really needs your help..."

"Why are you talking in third person?" Sid asked and Rebecca answered, "That's what Remy does when he's nervous," To which Sid replied, "Oh, I see."

A sudden battle cry made them all jump. The trio were the only people left unhidden, and to their utter surprise (well, at least the twin's surprise), a legion of Trolls were charging toward them.

"Uh, oh," Sid said, bracing himself for a fight, "Where is everybody else..."

Before he could continue, Harmony sprung out of nowhere and began pummeling the first wave of attack. Her growling voice brought down the curses of a hundred upscale designers. She knocked one of the creatures over the bar in her rage. She slammed the creature's head into the wall and roared triumphantly as it passed out.

Rebecca and Sid exchanged glances, which spoke the same thing.

_We get the feeling that somehow this is our fault._

---------------------------

Author's note: I know it has been a long while... I've had weddings, and meetings, and framing, and customers, and clients, and cleaning, and cooking, and watching of TV, and politics, and debates, and for a week or so I was kidnapped and waiting for Mel Gibson to pay my ransom and rescue me....

Okay, I made that last one up, but seriously...seriously... look how serious I am, angry eyebrows and all. I've been really busy. :-( HOWEVER, I promise this painful little fic will all be over soon! Gotta admit though...the Trolls have been very patient...

-- threatening growls --

But...not THAT patient... heh heh h'ohhhhh boy I'd better get writing again...


	16. Chpt 15:

Chapter Fourteen:

"Did it hurt, _chere_?" a sharp looking gentleman with a distinctly Cajun accent asked suavely.

"Excuse me?" the woman next to him replied as she tried to order a drink.

"When you fell from heaven, no?" Remy continued the bad pickup line with confidence.

The woman rolled her eyes and shoved past him, not even dignifying his attempted flirtation with a response. The rejected man sighed unhappily and immediately began to search for his next prospect, hoping his luck would turn around. He reached into his jacket pocket and tapped his lonely playing cards. Zero so far...out of all the ladies in the club...

This was no longer simply drabbling poetry for the fun of dances and conversation. This was business. He had been challenged by a formidable opponent, and Remy was not about to shirk at a bet. He and Sid had made a friendly wager...who could collect the most phone numbers by the end of the night from the feminine portion of the crowd. And Gambit was not about to lose the game he was best at.

However, his current tally did not bode well in his calculating mind.

Unbeknownst to his competition, Sid was not doing so well himself. While his shrewd tactics worked incredibly well among older ladies of wealth and society, they certainly did not impress his present crowd of peers.

Sid leaned against the bar and scowled openly as he gazed around the room. He ordered a drink, just as the Cajun X-Man sauntered toward him. Remy did his best to seem over-confident in the wake of Sid's annoyance.

"So, _ami_..." he began with a grin, "I assume by your desolate look that you are _losing_ our little bet..."

With the skill of a business tycoon, all the doubt melted from Sid's face and he sneered at Remy.

"If that's what you'd like to believe...go ahead," he said, "It's going to be a shame when you find out how many women I've added to my cell phone tonight."

Remy nodded, almost sadly, "_Oui_, of course. And it will be terrible to disappoint you, considering all of those pity-numbers you've go gallantly won..."

"The only pity will be from everyone else when they are watching you pay up," Sid shot back, "Then, you'll be broke _and _alone..."

Remy chuckled cynically, "Well, when I'm escorting one of the many beauties I've met tonight back to her place, I'll leave you all the extra papers with the extra numbers so you have something with which to dry your tears..."

"Oh, really?" Sid replied also chuckling smugly.

"Very real, _ami_," Remy agreed.

They laughed haughtily, almost to the point of embarrassment, until they both took and long breath and frowned, downcast.

"Big fat zero?" Remy asked unhappily.

"Yeah, I got nothing," Sid answered honestly, the scowl returning to his face.

"Ah, well," Remy said shrugging, "These ladies are...how to put it? Below us, yes? After all, we are worldly gentlemen of...the world. We have wooed the finest women in the most glamorous parties. Women of beauty and fame. Do we really need _this kind_ of feminine companionship, when we leave acres of powerful _femmes_ weeping for our attention?"

Sid stared at him sympathetically, "Does that kind of bullshit really help your ego?"

"No, not at all," Remy admitted mournfully, "In fact...it's making me feel worse..."

"You have a least a few sure-things," Sid said and Remy glanced at him curiously, "Nancy and Rebecca would give you there numbers _just so I'd lose..._"

"_Oui?_" Remy asked, and then straightened his tie, "I'll be right back..."

Sid laughed, "But...if you want a real challenge...how about trying to get Mystique to write down those seven little digits."

"I don't know about that," the Cajun replied warily, "Remy thinks she would rather stab him repeatedly with an olive fork."

Sid nodded, actually able to clearly visualize the event. Both of their gazes strayed to the currently blonde beauty.

"She is stunning," Remy admitted.

"Agreed," Sid said and then narrowed his eyes, "So how about _double-or-nothing?_"

Remy raised a curious eyebrow, actually considering the offer, when screams began to erupt from the front of the club. Both mutants turned, as did the rest of the crowd, and watched in surprise as a large swarm of growling creatures began to spill through the front doors. The twin bouncers who had so diligently guarded the patrons were lifted into the air and hurled across the dance floor.

The crowed surged backward, away from the stage, until a second wave of attack came charging in from the rear halls. The high-pitched shrieks of female patrons echoed from the ladies' bathroom as they were roughly ushered in with the rest of the crowd.

After a few chaotic moments, one of the creatures stomped angrily forward, and held his hands into the air.

"_Silence!_" bellowed the King of the Trolls. His followers echoed the sentiment rudely to their captives until the frightened screams and crying fell quiet.

Relish flashed his massive lower teeth and grinned wickedly.

"_Silence your tongues or we'll tear them out!_" he cried, and then pointed one finger out at the cowering mass, "We've come for your treasures! We've come for your silver! We've come for your gold!"

Each demand was accompanied by triumphant calls from Relish's army, their eyes glittering with anticipation for their king's final demand.

"_We've come..."_ Relish said, savoring his words, _"...for your_ _shoes!_"

Instead of a raucous cheer, one single shriek made the Trolls reach for their ears, and the rest of the crowd turned to stare at the blonde vampire with terrified confusion.

"_No!_" Harmony shouted piteously, "_These are Prada limited editions!_"

Back at the bar, Sid sighed and shook his head, "I better go find Becca. You stay here..."

"Oh, _oui?_" Remy said, glancing between the incoming menace and his retreating comrade, "And what exactly do you think I should do in the meantime?"

"Stall," Sid replied, before he began to force his way toward the back of the club.

"St..." Remy began, gaping with disbelieve, before turning back toward the creatures with annoyance, "_Merde_."

* * *

When the terrified shouts began, everyone in the Malloys' private booth watched the growing panic with an eerie readiness. Mary stared in horror as the creatures began to appear around them. The haunting echoes of her vision danced before her eyes...

Toad leapt to his feet immediately, and heard Rebecca mutter irritably.

"Oh, crap," she said, glancing over at Nancy, who simply gestured toward the incoming hoard and nodded contemptuously.

"Oh, no, not trolls...it couldn't be trolls..." the witch mocked their earlier doubts bitterly until Rebecca rolled her eyes and shoved everyone out of the booth.

"Come on. Let's get closer to the stage," she said, leading them through the stampeding clubbers and avoiding their new, violent guests.

Toad noticed for the first time that the band had disappeared. By the time they reached, the other side of the room, Oz and Lance had already secured a suitable hiding spot. The mutant bassist was staring around the room with surprise but Oz was simply reclining against the wall, looking thoughtful. When he spotted the others approaching, he smiled and acknowledged them with a slight nod.

"Hey, guys," Rebecca said with a grin, "Mind if we join your cowering?"

"Not cowering," Oz replied, "Just...reminiscing," The others stared at him with blank confusion until he continued, "Reminds me of home..."

Toad shook his head and glared angrily, as Harmony's shriek suddenly sounded over the rest of the noise. She shouted something about 'Prada' (a word that had absolutely no meaning to the green mutant and he decided was probably too ridiculous for him to care) and then the creatures began to order people to surrender their footwear.

"What the 'ell they want with shoes?" he finally asked, growing dangerously tired of this entire situation.

"They're trolls," Nancy explained with annoyance, "They like shoes."

"And disco," Rebecca added with a grin.

"Bloody rubbish," Toad muttered. He then noticed the others glance apprehensively over his shoulder until felt someone tap him roughly on the arm.

* * *

Remy watched the creatures begin to shove patrons away from the bar, when he suddenly had a brilliant thought. Sid wanted him to stall, huh? Fine. He would stall.

"_Pardon_, good sir!" Remy began to shout over the crowd. He eased past several snarling trolls as he approached their leader, excusing himself repeatedly and politely, presenting rare civility among the frightened crowd.

"Please, _monsieur_," he pleaded as he approached the Troll King, "I believe I may be of some help to you in this situation..."

The other trolls laughed and ordered him back, but Relish ordered them to halt, and allowed the Cajun to come forward.

"You say you want our treasures," Remy began, "Our most valuable possessions?"

"It is why we have come," Relish agreed, and then glanced around with an air of contempt, "Are you the..._leader_...of these blubbering fools?"

Remy blinked with surprise, and glanced around at the rest of the crowd, who had made a point to step far away from him. If Remy wanted the job...no one was going to argue with him.

"Um..._oui._ Yes. Yes, I am the leader here," he said, although unconvincingly, "And I wanted to...um...extend you an offer...of peace..."

Relish erupted into a roar of horrid laughter, which was quickly echoed by the others.

"Peace?" the Troll King spat the word as though it had a nasty taste, "What kind of game do you think this is?"

_Game...cards...shoes...idea!_ The words chimed through Remy's mind so fast, he barely had time to register the meaning.

"Yes," Remy replied, and then drew himself up confidently, "Because when you see what I will offer, all thoughts of war will leave your mind."

"What could you offer, you pathetic worm, that would satisfy our warrior hearts?" Relish asked in an overdramatic fashion.

"Shoes," Remy replied, with a secretive smile, "Only the finest footwear in this world or the next! The most valuable possession our small minds could possibly...possess..."

Relish narrowed his eyes, but rubbed his chin curiously, "Go on...where might I find this incalculable treasure?"

"Why...right here," Remy replied, "For they are being worn...right now...by the most beautiful woman in this room."

Relish glanced around doubtfully. Human woman were all hideous in his eyes, so he would not know who the red-eyed man was speaking of.

"I will bring them to you..." Remy said, stepping carefully back toward the bar, until he reached Mystique.

The camouflaged mutant was glaring at the X-Man for his apparent stupidity until he knelt before her and held his hands into the air.

"Oh, fairest one," Remy declared dramatically, "I know you dread to part from your most precious of...um, footwear! But your sacrifice may save us all!"

Remy reached down and took Mystique's foot. Suddenly, his eyes widened, when he remembered that her shoes might not be shoes.

"Oh, _desole_," he muttered and then glanced up at her coyly, "_Are they real_?"

Mystique made a scoffing noise in her throat and kicked off one white shoe after the other. They fell into Remy's waiting hands and he grinned broadly.

"Thank you, _chere_," he muttered, and began to charge the shoes' kinetic energy with his grasping fingertips, "Your sacrifice will not be in vain..."

"You better be right, X-Man," Mystique said aloud, glaring between Remy and the pillaging trolls.

When the shoes were noticeably glowing, Remy spun to his feet and held them dramatically in the air. A collective gasp came from the trolls, and Relish's eyes began to shine with greed. He had shoes of invisibility, but he had never seen magic shoes that glowed with such beauty. They must be incredibly powerful...

"_Voila_," Remy said with mock sorrow, "I offer you our most valuable gift! The most perfect shoes! The most famous footw..."

"_Give them to me,_" Relish hissed, ordering Remy forward. The Cajun grinned broadly, his red eyes suddenly beginning to glow with power.

"Well, _ami_," he said darkly, hoping Sid had some kind of plan beyond 'stall', "As you wish..."

* * *

Toad had not moved, but watched the faces of the others carefully. The tapping came again, followed by a gruff ordering voice.

"Oy! You deaf or something?" one of the trolls shouted angrily down at him, "I said get to your feet!"

Toad frowned, and rose slowly out of his crouched position. The others followed his lead, and he noticed with irritation that most of them were trying not to laugh. The only one who still seemed frightened was Mary. Since she seemed the least insane in the group, he was going to have to trust her expression and approach his new enemy with caution.

"Now!" the troll said, giving Toad another rough shove in the back, "Give me all your treasures!"

The voice of the creature was grumbling, vicious and very low. But not low in pitch...low in regards to where the sound was coming from. Toad turned and stared down in surprise at their foe.

_Bloody hell, this guy's shorter than me_, Toad though with bewilderment. The troll seemed a little taken aback by the green mutant's appearance, and Toad took great pleasure in watching the creature recoil and gape _upwards_ at him.

"Well?" the troll stammered, "Well? What're you waitin' for?"

Toad glared at him, getting ready to tell this little imp where he could shove his bleeding treasure, when a familiar voice rose over the crowd. Toad squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. The Cajun was trying to negotiate or something with the leader of these creatures, and while their own little pillager was distracted, the only thing Remy's bantering ever did was give Toad a headache.

"Sid's looking for us," Rebecca said quietly, "We've got to think of a way to get these people out of here..."

"Don't suppose any of you have slayer training?" Oz asked, and when no one replied, he sighed, "No...me neither. You don't realize how convenient a slayer is, until you go without."

"Slayer or not," Rebecca continued, "We've got enough fire power between all of us to at least give these guys a good fight..."

"Maybe we won't have to fight..." Lance suddenly added, a curious expression on his face, "Looks like that guy's making them and offer..."

"One they can't refuse?" Rebecca said with a nervous laugh, "Oh, crap...we should take cover."

Toad had been listening to their conversation, and then looked back into the crowd to see who they were talking about. When he spotted Remy holding a glowing pair of white high heels, he cursed softly and spun around, following the others to the back of the stage.

"I think those are Mystique's shoes," Rebecca said as Toad crouched down beside her.

Toad grinned with wicked amusement, "Good. If the trolls don't kill 'im, _she will_."


	17. Chpt 16: Troll Attack!

Chapter Sixteen:

Since surrendering her high heels to Gambit, Mystique had kept her comfortable place at the bar. She was reclining back on her elbows calmly, as if there was not a horde of snarling Trolls attacking the other patrons. She had been forced to shift slightly when Harmony tackled one of the aggressive creatures over the bar; however, the amusing events of the past few moments had made up for that one inconvenience.

The Trolls seemed not to notice Mystique at all, even though it had been her shoes that started this new wave of chaos. It was Gambit's head they were calling for.

Mystique watched as the shattered bottles around her were formed into a disorganized wall, cutting the room in two and momentarily separating the Trolls from their targets. She had absolutely no problem with the fact that the wall had separated her from the others as well.

The makeshift structure began to crack almost immediately. The Trolls were pushing against it en mass, their shouts and growls becoming more frenzied under the instigating shouts of their King.

Mystique could see the others preparing for the oncoming attack through the wall's blurry surface. A dark smirk rolled across her lips as a cracking noise could be heard over the horde's reveling. She had not expected to be so entertained tonight.

Before the Trolls were able to charge through the breaking glass, Mystique decided she should take a few precautions in the next moments to ensure her own safety. She turned herself back toward the bar, and leaned over to get a look at the fallen Troll who had been knocked out by the overzealous vampire. As she examined his features, Mystique's face and body began to morph into an identical clone of the creature.

The effect was flawless, except for the fact that she was wearing a real dress. No matter. The Trolls would be far too busy with killing the Cajun X-Man to notice that one little detail...

* * *

Mary peeked over the bar in terror as a large section of Sid's glass wall came crashing down. The sound of shattering glass was deafening, but quickly muted out by the triumphant glee of the Trolls. 

Just as the first few creatures charged down on the others, Mary felt someone grab her arm and haul her down to the floor. Nancy shoved a new pile of CD cases into her lap and glared at her.

"Hey! Pay attention!" Nancy barked angrily, "Unless we find what we're looking for, we're all gonna be screwed!"

Mary shoved Nancy's hand from her arm and shouted back, "What about Remy and the others? We have to help them..."

Nancy tossed two worthless music selections over her shoulder, and then looked over at Mary with a dark smirk as the floor beneath them rumbled.

"Don't worry about them," she said, "All they gotta do is hold those thing off long enough for us to..."

Mary watched as Nancy's eyes grew wide, and then she heard something snarl above her head. Before Mary even had a chance to glance upward, Nancy was chanting and holding one hand out in front of her, palm upward, her fingers curled. A ball of green light flashed from Nancy's open fist, and knocked the Troll off the bar back toward the main fight.

Mary gaped at Nancy dumbly for a moment, but the dark witch just grinned and blew the proverbial smoke from her fingers.

"Black Magic Woman, chicka," Nancy said proudly, and then turned back to their task, "But Santana's not coming to our rescue tonight..."

With a satisfied laugh, Nancy looked down at the last CD in the box, and held it up for Mary to see.

"Tonight..." she continued, "...It's all about the Brothers Gibb."

* * *

Remy held the pool cue in his hands defensively, as a wave of sneering Trolls ran toward him. The bottom heavy pole felt as menacing as a toothpick to the anxious Cajun, who suddenly decided all those loan sharks in New Orleans were really not so bad compared to the problems he found up north. 

He felt some reassurance in the fact that the rest of his compatriots had not run screaming out of the club and left him to his doom. But, as he glanced around, they all seemed as worried as he was. Except for Toad, who sneered back at Gambit and made a less than comforting sawing motion with his hand across his throat.

Gambit braced himself as the first Troll reached him. He dodged one blow, and then used the pool cue to deflect another before it could reach him. As two more growling creatures lunged for him, Gambit twirled the cue like a practiced showman and delivered a few more hits to his attackers.

Sid and Rebecca had their backs to each other, rotating in a practiced defense maneuver. They were mostly dodging. The Trolls attacks were slow and lumbering, but their fists had enough force to shatter the remaining tables when the innocent furniture got in their way. Rebecca focused a small burst of fire into each of her hands, but did not unleash it at the creatures. They seemed unnerved by her hand-held torches and ducked away from her grasp. Sid landed a few hard knocks to the creatures before he took a nasty shot to the head. He stumbled backward a step, unintentionally knocking Rebecca to the ground with him.

Fortunately, the dance floor began to shake under their feet and a good number of the Trolls also lost their footing. Lance was standing near the stage, both of his hands clenched into fists as he used his power to force shockwaves into the ground below the club. A row of hanging lights over the stage fell from the ceiling and shattered over the abandoned drum set.

Oz sighed unhappily as he watched that musical tragedy of the drums, and then recommenced hitting the Trolls around him with one of the bar stools. The tremors faded away as Lance was knocked over by none other than Relish, the Troll King himself, who had a bit more sense than his followers. He yanked Lance up by the back of his vest and shoved him across the floor, knocking over a few of his own followers like a row of bowling pins.

Relish stalked toward the young mutant, who was trying to get to his feet. Lance shook his head in an attempt to clear his doubled vision, and felt the Troll King's powerful hands lock around his collar and yank him up. Relish only had a moment to glower at the boy before he had his turn to be knocked over.

When Toad saw the Troll King grab Lance again, he leapt once and landed a solid kick into the creature's back. Relish flew across the room, landing in a pile of disoriented Trolls who cursed and spat as they tried to untangle themselves from each other.

Relish glared upward as Toad crawled across the scaffolding above the battle. He stood quickly, pointing up at the green mutant and cursing at the other Trolls for their incompetence.

Toad sneered back, and opened his mouth wide. A large gob of slime shot from Toad's throat toward the Troll King. Relish swiped a hand through the air and deflected the strange substance before it could reach his face. Toad heard the Troll King laugh in a mighty and horrible voice.

"An interesting skill you have, my friend," Relish called with amusement, "Come down and let us discuss it..."

Toad continued to glare contemptuously as he replied, "Oh, right. Let me just do that."

"Your friends are in danger..." Relish continued, "Why not come down and try to save them?"

Toad chuckled, and glanced around at the others doubtfully, "Oh, yes... I'm quite worried about them. Really... look at all my worry..."

A screaming Troll flew in the air between them, screeching like Wilhelm, as Relish spoke again.

"Then... you won't mind if we take the head of your leader as a token of our satisfied vengeance?" Relish bated with a sneer.

"Leader?" Toad asked with a frown, and then nodded toward Gambit, "You mean 'im? I'd rather enjoy it if you did, actually..."

* * *

While Toad and the Troll King discussed his fate, Gambit struggled with a group of at least a dozen attackers, who had him cornered among the billiard tables. He whacked the creatures with the pool cue until it cracked in half, and was searching for something else to use as a weapon. 

"_Pardon!_" he cried irritably, "But Remy would appreciate a little _help when you all have the time!_"

"Keep your head on, man!" Pyro shouted fending off the Trolls with bouts of fire from his lighter, "We're a little...ack! A little busy...!"

One of the more daring Trolls leapt onto Pyro's back and began to throttle him from behind. St. John struggled to breathe as the Troll tightened its grip on his neck. He brought his lighter up close to his own face and tried desperately to re-ignite the flame. After three or four spins with this thumb, he managed to catch a spark with his power and held the fire steady.

Before he could concentrate the heat toward the Troll, another unexpected weight landed on his back. Harmony was clawing and gnashing her teeth at the creature attacking Pyro as she hung onto its back. The Troll was forced to use one of its arms to fight off the frenzied vampire, which allowed Pyro to take one long and needed breath.

Unfortunately, St. John was at the bottom of the three-tier pile and only managed to stay on his feet for a few steps before the battle on his back made him fall to the ground.

* * *

"We're in trouble," Rebecca said to her brother. 

Sid nodded, "Yeah. I noticed."

Like the others, they had now been cornered by a rabble of angry Trolls. Rebecca kept her hand alight with flame, which deterred their attackers for the moment, but they were obviously loosing fear of her trick. Sid was rubbing his head unhappily where the Trolls had seemed to enjoy punching him, but the resulting migraine was making it difficult to concentrate on the glass for protection.

They were backed against the bar and the remainder of the glass wall. Rebecca heard a familiar voice cursing from the bartender's aisle. She nudged Sid and jerked her head back, giving a silent instruction to jump over the bar. He complied without argument as Rebecca smashed a half empty bottle of vodka onto the marble surface. She slid through the liquid as she followed her brother, keeping a wary eye on the Trolls as they swiped at her. Once both she and Sid were clear, Rebecca put one of her fiery palms against the bar and ignited the spilled alcohol. She sighed with relief as the Trolls leapt back away from the mini inferno and trudged after Sid toward Mary and Nancy.

"So..." Sid quipped to Mary wearily, "How're you liking New York so far?"

"Shut up, ass," Nancy shot back as she struggled to get the disco CD to play in the soundboard.

"Did you try kicking it?" Rebecca asked.

"Twice," Mary confirmed by pointing out the two dents that suspiciously matched the witch's boots.

The three non-witches cried out in surprise as one brave Trolls managed to leap through the fire. Once he put out the lingering flames in his hair, the Troll urged his friends to follow suit.

"Kick it again, Nance..." Rebecca said with panic as the Trolls lurched toward them. She felt a wave of heat roll from her body as her mind reacted to the threat. The power was dancing before her eyes, taunting her to unleash it again... like with the Sentinel...

* * *

Mystique watched the battle from the sidelines, sighing with boredom as the Trolls began to get the better of the X-Man and his friends. She spared Pyro and Toad only passing glances. What she was really interested in was the bass player from the band. He had only had a few moments to use his gift, but the power within him was unmistakable. 

If he survived, she was sure Erik would like to meet him... and introduce him to the Brotherhood. Unfortunately, by the tide of the battle, Mystique was not certain that any of the others would come away unscathed.

The Trolls were bearing down on all engaged parties. Not surprising considering how outnumbered they had been in the first place. She spotted one large group of Trolls carrying the X-Man Gambit over their heads triumphantly, bringing him to their king.

Mystique lost sight of the Cajun as he was dumped to the ground at Relish's feet. She assumed it would be the last time she saw the suave Mr. LeBeau...

...But then, the music started...


	18. Chpt 17: The Moment Before Disco

Chapter Seventeen:

Gambit grumbled unhappily as the mass of Trolls lifted him into the air and began hauling him toward their King.

When it had become obvious that his _amis_ were not going to be able to help him, Gambit began to think of some appropriate last words he could spout to the ages before the Trolls cut his head off. He wanted something they would all remember to their dying day. Something poetic, with lots of profanity...

As he was pushed closer to the Troll King, Gambit also began wondering how he could kiss his own head goodbye. Sid's suggestion did not seem so implausible now that the Cajun was faced with his last few moments of life. Now, kissing his own ass goodbye... that he probably could have managed. However, that was not what the Trolls were after, unlike many of the women in his past, whom he was certain would pack the church at his funeral...

_I hope they don't leave out the Trolls in my obituary_, Gambit pondered as he was dropped to the ground, the crowd of snarling faces jeering at him.

Heavy footsteps signaled the approach of the Troll King. The mob parted as Relish stomped toward the prisoner, his lower fangs fully exposed as he grinned.

"Well, well, Highness," Relish bellowed, "What an interesting clan you lead. Their magics and strength are to be commended..."

The Troll King glanced around the club, noting with satisfaction that each of their enemies had been adequately subdued.

"Pity it was not enough to defeat the army of the Third Kingdom," Relish continued, his praise drawing a pleased grumble of agreement from his followers.

Gambit did not reply, just sighed, seemingly defeated. Relish was too taken by his own victory to notice that the man was slowly reaching into his coat. Gambit's resigned expression did not change as his fingers found the edge of a playing card in his pocket.

"Now..." the King announced, drawing a broad sword from his belt, "By the death of this maggoty wretch, the Tenth Kingdom will truly see what happens when one earns the wrath of the Trolls!"

A triumphant roar rose up through the club. Toad, still perched on the scaffolding above, clapped approvingly, a wicked grin on his face.

Relish could see the man's allies still struggling to get to his aid, pushing and fighting futilely against the mass of Trolls...

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

The bar was still on fire when the Trolls closed in on the quartet sitting behind it.

Rebecca was not really worried about that fire or the Trolls though. She was much too busy concentrating on not blowing up the rest of the nightclub. Sid had begun pelting the Trolls with discarded CD cases and nearby bottles. The attackers were closing in too fast for him to do much else. Nancy did not shift her focus from the soundboard, which did not seem to like her chosen musical selection.

Mary cringed back against a small refrigerator, unsure of how she could help the situation. She was not a fighter, and she did not have the Professor's demon history book to fall back on for advice. The excess heat radiating from Rebecca had not gone unnoticed. Mary's earlier visions of fire flashed forebodingly before her eyes. Yet, there was nothing menacing in the other girl's face. There was just something in her trying to defend them, trying to protect...

The world around her began to spin as Mary glanced over at the Trolls. Strange thoughts began to run through her head, almost like another voice speaking to her...

_...They're really not so dangerous, you know..._

_...Not unless their riled up like this..._

_...I mean, just look at them!..._

_...Trolls... seriously... trip trapping on bridges and such..._

_...I bet... when their King is not around..._

_...They are much more civil..._

_...Seriously, what are you scared of?..._

_...They were after your shoes, for God's sake..._

_...I bet outside of battle, they do other things that really irritate their King..._

_...Nicey nice... and all that..._

_...Somebody really should do something soon though..._

_...This rudeness cannot be ignored..._

..._oh and they're about to cut off your friend's head..._

Mary blinked and felt the world come back to her. She was still staring at the Trolls, but a large smile had spread over her face.

"Hey, will you guys relax?" she called out, and then scoffed, "Keep acting like that, and this will stop being a party!"

The Trolls all paused and exchanged confused glances as they noticed Mary for the first time. The young woman's casual but confident smirk was Waldo among the gaping terror of the others.

Sid and Rebecca also turned to look at Mary, with identical expression of surprise.

"What..." the twins began at once, and a Troll finished for them, "What did you just say?"

"I said..._relax..._" Mary repeated, hearing her voice as if it was not her own.

The faces of the Trolls all seemed to loose their vicious sneers, their lust for battle dissipating as quickly as the unnatural heat in the air. The triumphant cries of their King could still be heard, but the Trolls who had been ready to attack the Malloy twins seemed to have lost interest in the whole matter.

Mary sighed once with relief. She turned to look back at the soundboard, ignoring Nancy's curious frown, and spoke one word at the stubborn machine.

"Sing."

With a whine of protest, the CD player came to life.

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

Relish waved his sword through the air as he prepared to make the killing blow.

The Trolls reveled in delight at the oncoming bloodshed.

Toad continued to clap politely from above, and regarded the annoying Cajun X-Man unsympathetically as Relish's sentence was carried out.

Gambit sighed one more time, deciding since he was probably going to die anyway, he might as well make it a show. He drew the playing card from his pocket and felt the kinetic energy charging beneath his fingertips.

As the card began to glow, Relish glanced down at the man with boredom.

"One last trick, eh?" he asked, before raising the sword over his head, "It shall be your last!"

As the blade came down, Gambit flicked the card toward the Troll King. The heavy weapon sliced through the laughing face of a Joker, and split Gambit's weapon in two. The halves were deflected in opposite directions and the Trolls scrambled to avoid them as they struck the floor. Two small explosions rocked the nightclub, and the mob scattered to avoid showering debris.

* * *

_And then..._

Toad yelped in surprise as he was knocked from his perch. He reached out for the scaffolding, but the flash of the explosions left him momentarily blind and unable to find a way to prevent his fall. Toad felt himself tumbling backward, head over heels, with nothing but air (and Trolls) between him and the floor. With unnatural speed, Toad's tongue shot out of his mouth in the direction of the ceiling. His body had turned in a complete flip and he used the momentum with practiced skill to right himself.

Toad managed to cling to the closest wall and tried to see what had happened. He did not notice the small computer containing Magneto's list had fallen from his pocket.

* * *

_And then..._

Gambit did not waste any time, scrambling to his feet and trying to fight his way towards the bar. Relish roared and his followers echoed the furious sound. The Troll King was tiring of these games, but he would not depart without having his vengeance.

The fleeing Cajun managed to reach Oz, who stood comfortably among the chaotic Trolls. He was trying to see over the crowd as Gambit ran up to him.

"Happy hour is over, no?" Gambit asked, sounding out of breath.

"Yeah..." Oz replied, pushing himself up on his toes and frowning, "I hope the camera didn't get knocked over..."

"What!" Gambit replied.

"This'll be great footage for our music video..." Oz mused calmly.

Gambit gaped at him dumbly for a moment, before hearing the Troll King's booming voice organizing his troops again.

"_FIND HIM! KILL HIM! REND THE SKIN FROM HIS BONES!_"

"My bones..._merde_," Gambit said, as all Troll eyes turned on him.

_Relax..._

"What did you say?" Gambit asked Oz with a frown.

Oz shrugged, and shook his head. He had not heard anything except growling as the Trolls approached the Cajun again. But this time, all the creatures were wielding axes and daggers, ready to carry out their King's sentence.

Gambit raised his fists defensively preparing to fight one last time for his life against the horde of horrible, vicious and nasty Trolls...

But before there was a deathblow... there was a down beat...


	19. Chpt 18: Magics of the Brothers Gibb

Chapter Eighteen:

Now, a horde of rampaging Trolls may have been terrifying to behold, it was nothing compared to the shock of what happened next.

As the rhythmic sound began to fill the club, everyone stared in dismay as the Trolls got their groove on.

_"Oh, you can tell by the way I use my walk, I'm a woooman's man... no time to talk..."_

Gambit's jaw dropped as the Trolls inexplicably turned from the battle, and began gyrating to the disco beat. The Brothers Gibb chanted gloriously from the surrounding speakers, and the creatures raised their arms (weapons and limbs) in to the air with an enthusiastic cry.

"_Noooooooooooooo!_" the Troll King shouted in dismay, as his troops were once again defeated by the call of disco.

Oz looked on with confusion, his expression shifting significantly when he raised a single eyebrow. God, he hoped the camera was still running.

The others in their party began to gather around Gambit. The Cajun nearly fainted as he fell into a nearby chair, beginning to consider for the first time all night that he was not going to die.

Rebecca and Sid peeked from behind the bar. At first all that was visible were their wide eyes, and then they slowly rose to their feet. Nancy was beside them in an instant, her arms crossed over her chest and a cocky smirk on her lips.

The twins turned their heads and stared at her in amazement. Nancy just glared and nodded, gloating happily as she watched the Trolls party. Rebecca and Sid glanced at each other again. Sid spotted one surviving bottle of Bacardi, poured a shot for his sister (who accepted gratefully) and then took a long swig from the broken glass neck.

"Get on your feet, girl," Nancy said to Mary, "I don't know how you talked the CD into playing... but thanks for helping me prove to these idiots that _I'm always right..._"

* * *

Toad still clung to the wall, his tongue tucked safely in his mouth again, and stared at the dancing Trolls with the same bewilderment as every other mutant in the room. 

He frowned when he spotted Remy in the crowd, alive and obviously still annoying. Pyro, the vampire and the mutant Lance were standing nearby, all grinning with relief. The werewolf was dodging a small circle of break dancing Trolls as he made his way toward the ruined stage, where the camera was indeed still standing.

"Right..." Toad muttered to himself, "Now I remember why I hate this city..."

With a quick kick, Toad leapt to the ground. He decided he had enough of the Underground for one night, and was going to head outside when he spotted the Troll King slumped at the bar.

Toad walked over toward the bar and stepped behind it. He grabbed a frosted mug from the fridge and filled it with heavy ale from the tap. He could hear Relish ranting angrily to himself, his gnarled face buried in his hands.

"_Not again...not again!_" Relish moaned, "Curse the Brothers Gibb and their unholy magics!"

Toad put the beer mug on the counter and shoved it toward the Troll King. Relish frowned with surprise, and glared suspiciously at the green mutant. He sniffed the foamy brew and sampled it. Relish then lifted the ale to Toad in a silent salute of appreciation and proceeded to drink away his sorrows.

Toad acknowledged with a nod, and then shifted his long, black coat with a shrug of his shoulders. As the cloth settled, he knew immediately that the extra weight of Magneto's small computer was gone. Toad quickly reached into his pockets, searching fruitlessly for the device. He froze when a familiar voice spoke from behind him.

"Lose something?" he heard Mystique's intricate voice say softly.

Toad turned and glared at her. She was still disguised as a Troll (her white dress making her more like a Troll in drag) and was smirking around the imitated lower fangs. She was holding the small computer limply, almost carelessly, in one hand. Toad's eyes fill with cold fury as the shape shifter mocked him.

"Don't worry," Mystique said coyly, "I won't tell Erik of your recklessness. I suppose I was not meant to know about this little list, a fact which I'm sure he has a good reason for..."

Mystique took a few steps toward Toad, allowing her body to resume its natural shape.

The Troll King watched her transformation with surprise, and began to examine his ale suspiciously.

"And, I suppose you want this back," she continued, holding out the computer toward her 'brother'.

Toad snatched it rudely from her grasp, and immediately secured it within his coat.

"Magneto didn't say it was a secret," Toad shot back, obviously distressed by Mystique's discovery.

The shape shifter chuckled softly, and shook her head.

"That doesn't mean he doesn't have any," she replied, and then turned and walked off into the crowd again.

Toad ground his teeth angrily. He touched the device in his pocket one more time, assuring himself of its presence. He hated Mystique's games, but he still wondered what her cryptic words about Magneto's secrets had meant.

He needed to get some information about the mutants on the list, and he knew the best source he had right now was the Malloy family and their Underground friends.

* * *

"This is the greatest thing I have ever seen," Lance Alvers announced to the others. He had not been able to stop laughing since the Trolls came down with disco fever. 

"Where do you think they got the roller skates?" Harmony asked as several creatures maneuvered passed.

"I don't know," Pyro replied, shaking his head, "Where do you think they got the leisure suits?"

"Ug, polyester. I don't want to know that," Harmony said quickly, sending Lance into a peal of laughter again.

"I don't remember the floor lighting up different colors, either," Rebecca remarked from behind the bar, still helping herself to rum and coke, "...and then, there's the mirror ball... It just appeared out of nowhere..."

"Troll magics," Nancy said with a sigh, obviously annoyed about having to explain this over and over again.

"Magic Troll Disco Ball," Rebecca said, "...Word..."

Gambit was still slumped in a chair nearby, leaning his chin in his hand and staring at the dance floor in disbelief. A female Troll on roller skates spun up to him and grinned broadly.

"Can I get you anything, hun?" the Troll asked, shifting a tray toward him, "Ale? Cigarettes? Candied elf?"

"_Merci,_ but no, _chere_," Gambit replied, and then shrugged apologetically, "Designated driver..."

The female Troll nodded, and skated on. Gambit shook his head and got to his feet.

"I hate to spoil everyone's fun," he remarked, "But can we get the hell _out of here? Si... vous... plait?_"

"Worried they'll change their minds about you?" Sid shot at the Cajun gleefully.

"Yes ...and I think that one Troll waitress was hitting on me..." Gambit replied.

Sid raised an eyebrow, "That means you would win our little bet..."

Gambit frowned cynically, "Every Cajun has his limits, _ami_..."

* * *

Author's note: All right! Everything is finally coming together in a horrible and stupid little package! All my muses working hard together and that's (see above) what I got out of them... nicey nice... Thankees to reviewers! I promise to get the rest of this mess over with quickly-D 


	20. Chpt 19: After Party

Chapter Nineteen: 

"Seriously," Lance repeated, "That was _the greatest thing_ I have ever seen..."

The entourage was once again gathered at the Malloy home. The ride back had been much more relaxed that before. Sharing traumatic Troll experiences often can bring people closer together... or at least keep opposing mutant forces from destroying each other for the remainder of the evening.

The entire group was now scattered across the roof, which had been dutifully prepared for a party... or battle... whatever. A string of Japanese lanterns cast a soft glow over the deck and the returning clubbers reminisced about the absurdity of the night's events.

"How's the picture look?" Pyro asked Oz, who was reviewing his tape critically.

"Not bad," Oz replied with a shrug, "Though I wish it had been set to wide-screen. Would have given it a more theatrical feel. I'll make sure I get everybody a copy..."

"Cool," Pyro said with a grin, "I don't think Magneto would believe it otherwise."

"Oh... don't be so sure," a new voice replied as Sebastian appeared from the shadows, "He was a Watcher, after all..."

"Bas!" Rebecca announced, "What've you been doin' all night? We've been fightin' Trolls and then Remy was all like 'Shit, my head!' and the Trolls were like 'Skin his bones!' and Mary was like 'Chill, yo' and Nancy's all 'oh, blah, I'm go smart' and then the disco..."

"How much have you had to drink?" Sebastian asked his niece disapprovingly.

Rebecca frowned for a moment, in deep thought and then shook her head, "Don't make me do math, Bas..."

Sebastian sighed and wandered over to where Mystique was sitting. He did not exactly enjoy her company, but she was the only one present who was anywhere near his age.

"Almost makes me nostalgic for my days with the Counsel," the vampire reminisced.

"Really?" Mystique asked with a wry grin.

"No," Sebastian admitted, "Not really. And, how about you? Any warm fuzzies about your reunion with the Underground?"

"It was... enlightening," she replied, thinking more about Magneto's list than the Trolls, "I am pleased to see Pyro has been associating with his _own kind_ as well as the undead..."

Sebastian allowed her remark and her tone to pass without rebuttal. He glanced toward the others and nodded.

"You mean the boy from the werewolf's band," he said, "Yes, him and a few others. Don't expect me encourage or rally support for your cause. If you wish to sway others to join the Brotherhood, you and the Brit will have to do it on your own."

Mystique did not reply, just smiled in her typical coy fashion and continued to watch the young mutants closely. Pyro seemed to get along quite well with the mutant musician, and Mystique was certain he had met others during his time in the city. That was how young mutants would be drawn to Magneto's cause. Let them first hear about the Brotherhood from a peer, someone to make it more than an urban legend or what they have seen on television. Make them question what normal humans tell them. Let Magneto be the one to show them the truth.

Mystique's yellow eyes shifted and fell upon Toad. He had positioned himself on the opposite side of the deck, far enough away that she could not hear what he was saying, but close enough to the others to engage in their conversations. Toad glanced at her, as if he had a learned sense of when she was watching, but shifted his attention away quickly.

The shape shifter could not stop the grin from forming on her face. She knew something now that Erik may have been trying to keep from her. She was not sure why he would not want her to know. But, then Erik always had his reasons.

_Maximoff,_ she thought, sipping the red wine in her glass, _Why such a secret Erik? Did you tell Toad why that name is important to you? Of course not. Why surround those names with pointless others? Charlene McGee... Cain Marko... Names from the past... most better forgotten..._

As her mind wandered, Mystique did not immediately notice that she was staring at Xavier's student Mary. She was not certain what powers the young woman had beyond precognition, for she disclosed only that. Yet... she had known Mystique's secret. It could have been a lucky guess (how many blue skinned mutants does one person ever get to meet), but she had the feeling there was more to it.

_Keep your secrets, Erik,_ Mystique thought, _You have respected my own. But if you want to bring truth to mutants, you better be prepared to face it..._

* * *

Toad crouched on the ground near where Pyro and the others were gathered. His fingers kept straying to the computer in his pocket, knowing he would have to question the Malloys about the list before he reported back to Magneto. He felt Mystique's eyes on him for a moment, and tried to ignore her prying gaze.

"Hyena people?" Pyro said after Oz finished telling a little tale of the Slayer, "Too cool..."

"Never had anything like that at my high school..." Lance agreed, "At least, while I was there..."

"Yeah, hell hounds, hyena people, all the normal Sunnydale stuff," Harmony quipped, "And then the giant worm thing at graduation..."

"Memories..." Oz said with fond nostalgia.

"Jeez..." Rebecca said, her speech a little slurred, "We just had the dead guys in our history class..."

Pyro rolled his eyes, "Dead guys... history... funny..."

The twins exchanged a cynical look, and then shrugged. It really had not been a joke...

As Harmony began to tell the others another weird Sunnydale High story, Toad moved toward the twins and booted up Magneto's list on the handheld. He did not have the social graces to discreetly interject his questions into the conversation, so he proceeded the best way he knew how.

"Here," Toad said, holding the small computer out to Rebecca. She was lounging in a long fold-out chair, halfway to happy inebriation, and plucked the machine clumsily from his hand.

"What..." she asked, frowning as she tried to see the small screen.

"Names," Toad replied, "A list. Need info on them."

Sid tilted his head curiously and looked over his sister's shoulder. He was holding his rum significantly better than she was.

"What names?" he asked. Toad rolled his eyes and glared at him.

"I don't know," Toad replied, "Or else I wouldn't need to ask then, would I?"

"Yeah, duh, Sid," Rebecca mumbled, squinting as she examined the list and then passed it on to her brother with a frustrated huff, "You try... My reading is gone for the night..."

Sid grinned and took the small machine from her hands. The expression quickly changed as he scanned the names. When he glanced up at Toad, Sid's eyes were dark and suspicious.

"What does Magneto want with them?" he asked.

"Don't know," Toad said with a sneer, "Didn't say. See your mum on there, eh?"

"Yeah," Sid said, "He never did say why he wanted to find her, and us, so bad..."

"Approach's better than last time," Rebecca slurred, "Who'else's there?"

Sid sighed and began to read, "David Haller, Bethany Chaulk, Daniel Torrance, Pietro Maximoff, Wanda Maximoff..."

They did not notice Nancy's head jerk toward them when Sid said the name of the second Maximoff. Once he had finished reciting, Sid gave out a low whistle.

"Looks like there're some pretty hard hitters," he said, "and that's only going by the little blurbs you've got here..."

Sid tossed the computer back to Toad, "There's only one name I know on there and there's only one thing we can tell you about her..."

"And what's tha..." Toad began until Rebecca cut him off.

"That she's dead," she said, sounding stone sober, and then shrugged, "Put a check mark next to that one..."

"Scarlet Witch isn't," Nancy suddenly chimed in, and glared darkly at Toad, "She's alive and well. Though I wouldn't seek her out... if you knew what was good for you..."

With that, the witch got to her feet and marched away. Toad turned his head to watch her go with a frown. He glanced back at Rebecca with a questioning look.

"Don't worry about her," she said with a wave of her hand, "She's always sayin' shit like that. Gotta keep up that whole creepy witch stereotype..."

"Right," Toad said and shook his head, "Know any way I can get info? Since none of you know anything..."

"Internet?" Rebecca recommended with a grin.

Toad glared at her, and shoved the computer back into his coat. He really had not expected anyone here to be much help, but their continued apathy to Magneto's cause and future plans was more than aggravating. They existed here in a world of luxury, cut off from the real horrors faced by mutants. It was beginning to make him a little sick.

Without another word, Toad followed Nancy's example and stormed away from the party. Oz glanced at the woozy Rebecca questioningly.

"Don't worry about him," she said with a wave of her hand, "He's always doing shit like that. Gotta keep up that whole broody mutant stereo... wait... didn't I have this convo before?"


	21. Chpt 20: Witch Interrogation

Chapter Twenty:

The morning shone brightly through the open windows of the Malloy's living room, though only one person was present to enjoy it.

Mystique stood with her arms folded, enjoying the warmth of the sun against her bare skin. She was in her natural form and had not donned any real clothing. If any of the other guests awoke, she would form her skin into some illusion that would be less revealing to young, impressionable eyes. She had to think about the children, after all.

Today, she would need to speak with Pyro alone before she and Toad returned to the Island. She had not been displeased with the turn of events, and she did not think Erik would be either. At least one new mutant had been identified, and she was quite confident that Pyro had met more, considering the access he had to the Underground during his time with the Malloy family. The staff at the club they had attended had recognized the boy, even greeted him as a friend. He was making associations that would benefit the Brotherhood in time.

Mystique smirked to herself as she reflected on the night's events. It had not been the strangest experience she had ever had, but certainly notable, even among her sorted history. She expected Erik would find it most amusing as well.

Her face darkened slightly as she thought about the list Toad had with him. Erik's list of mutants he wished to locate. Mystique did not mind the search for other allies, though she had been privately questioning his methods since this whole nonsense with the Malloy family began. Instead of approaching mutants directly, and en force, Erik assigned the search first solely to Pyro, and now to Toad, without letting her know about all of his plans. The Lady Deathstrike was also out on some mission for Magneto, and even though Mystique had known about her departure, she had not been given details. Something in Erik's actions was unnerving her, and the only thing she had to rely on was her own faith in his decisions.

Before her mind could form more arguments, Mystique heard someone walking across the roof-top deck. She frowned, and decided to see who else might be awake.

Mystique moved stealthily, simply because she preferred to remain unnoticed until she was sure she wanted to engage the other early riser in conversation. She exited out onto the roof, and stepped cautiously forward.

Near the edge of the roof, she spotted the witch sitting cross-legged atop of a round wooden table. Her name was Nancy, Mystique remembered, the one who had shown up with the ditsy vampire. She paced toward the younger woman, and heard her chanting quietly. The smell of incense clouded the morning breeze, and she could see several candles lit nearby.

Mystique watched the witch curiously for a few moments. Nancy had her eyes closed, focusing on the dagger that was hovering about a foot in front of where she was sitting. The shape shifter had no idea what the incantation was. She had never had much interest for magics, but she certainly knew of one other person who did. Someone who had been very close to Erik Lensherr... at least, in the past.

The dagger hovered for another few moments, and then shot out through the air. Mystique grimaced as the witch's blade skewered a passing bird and then fell solidly into one of the deck's wooden railings.

"Impressive," Mystique said aloud, not bothering to hide the disgust in her voice.

"Thanks," Nancy replied, taking a quick drag from her cigarette before continuing, "What the hell do you want?"

"What makes you think I want anything?" Mystique asked smoothly.

"Why else would you be hanging out up here watching me _commune_ with nature..." Nancy shot back, not bothering to glance behind her as she spoke.

Mystique walked around the table, molding the shape of a white dress over her body before facing the young woman.

Nancy rolled her eyes as she watched Mystique's transformation, "Relax, chick. It's not like I've never seen a boob before."

Mystique grinned coolly, but did not immediately reply. She studied Nancy closely with her yellow eyes. The young woman obviously embraced every medieval stereotype of the term 'witch' with pride, even down to the Land of Oz style striped socks. However, Mystique also noticed the scars on her inner arm, remnants of past drug use... or medical treatment.

Nancy scowled at the blue mutant as she stared at her, regarding Mystique with undisguised suspicion. She shifted uncomfortably and snuffed her cigarette against the table surface.

"So..." Nancy began, shaking her head once and crossing her legs as if to concentrate again, "You and the Toad guy are part of the Brotherhood, huh? The one's who tried to blow up the Statue of Liberty a couple years back?"

Mystique nodded, folding her arms over her chest, not bothering to correct Nancy's assumption of their motives during the Liberty Island mission.

"Hardcore," Nancy said with a touch of sarcasm.

"We try," Mystique replied, mimicking the witch's tone, "Is your coven in New York?"

Nancy's head jerked toward Mystique, her eyes once again filling with suspicion.

"No..." Nancy said, "I'm from L.A. So is the she-vamp. When Harm heard that Becca got shot, she just had to come and visit..."

Mystique smiled, feigning interest, "Have you been friends for a while?"

"I've known the idiot twins since high school," Nancy replied, ditching her spell in favor of another cigarette, "Harmony only got vamped last year. Sebastian does his good will thing for newly-mades, you know..."

"I didn't know," Mystique replied, and then paced her next question carefully, "How long have you been practicing your craft?"

"More than a few years," Nancy replied with a snide grin, "How long you been practicing yours?"

Mystique raised an eyebrow and smirked, "Much more than a few years. You don't get a choice when you're a mutant."

"Boo hoo," Nancy replied, "No offense but the self pity crap some of you mutants parade around really pisses me off."

"Do you know many mutants?" Mystique asked, "Back in Los Angeles?"

"A few," the witch said, "Some think they're monsters to begin with... but I guess you know that..."

Mystique let the comment slide and continued, "And you educate them otherwise?"

"You're one curious bitch" Nancy said, finishing her cigarette and staring another.

Mystique felt a real grin form on her face in spite of herself. If the witch had been a mutant, she probably would have tolerated her as a recruit for the Brotherhood. The boys needed a tough bitch to push them around sometimes, and she did not always have the time.

"Yes, I am," Mystique replied, "One more question, and then I promise to leave you to your bird watching. Where did you get those scars?"

Nancy jerked as if she had been struck. Her face filled with anger at Mystique's audacity. She pushed her shirt sleeves down past her elbows and seethed.

"None of your damn business," Nancy spat and spun her legs around and off the table. The carefully arranged spices and stones were scattered. Mystique grinned darkly as the girl stormed away, but then called to her with fabricated concern.

"I just don't like to see someone so gifted ruined with drugs," the shape shifter called, holding out a pleading hand.

Nancy froze, and glanced back toward Mystique. A dark humor had replaced her quick temper as she called back.

"What? You think I'm a junkie or something?" Nancy asked with a laugh.

"Well, the scars..." Mystique began, playing the role perfectly, "I've seen a lot of mutants take that path, but it's not the answer..."

Nancy laughed again and put her hands to her face. Mystique simply waited, hoping the young woman would react as she expected.

"Are you _kidding?_" Nancy shouted, storming back toward her, "Drugs...right. As fucked up as I am, let me put _drugs_ on top of it! Let me tell you, sister. One thing you learn in the psyche ward is that _drugs don't do shit!_"

Nancy yanked her dagger out of the wooden railing for emphasis before she stormed off again. The bird's body fell heavily to the ground with a sickening thump. But, Mystique did not grimace this time. She simply watched the young woman leave and smiled.

_A witch from an institution_, Mystique thought, _Now, why does that sound _so _familiar..._


	22. Chpt 21: Google Search

Chapter Twenty-One:

As Nancy and Mystique were conversing on the deck, Toad walked down the guest room hall and glanced out to make sure he was alone before entering the main living room. Unlike Mystique, he had no interest in questioning or interacting with anybody. They did not have the information he needed for Magneto, and he wanted to find out something before he had to leave New York.

Toad glanced at the shelves for something of interest and searched near the phone for any kind of address book. He sighed with frustration, and tried to decide if he had enough time to get downtown before Mystique (or anyone else) noticed he was gone.

He started for the front door when the witch Nancy stormed down from the roof and across the room. He nearly had to leap out of her way to avoid a collision, but Nancy passed by without a second glance at the surprised mutant.

"Blue bitch..." he heard her mutter before slamming her way to her room. Toad chuckled quietly and then scowled. Mystique must be up already if people are already getting pissed at her.

Toad frowned and scratched a hand through his green hair. If the Malloy family was as connected as Magneto said, there had to be something here he could use to get information about the people on the list.

In one corner of the large room, Toad spotted an elaborate computer console. He walked toward it, remembering something Rebecca had said last night, and sat down at the keyboard. He waited for the computer to start up and then opened the icon for the internet.

The word "google" appeared on the screen and Toad shook his head. All this stuff... and the only option he had was a google search.

"Right..." he muttered, and considered which name to try first. He glanced in the direction Nancy had stormed off, and remembered that she had recognized a name from the list. Scarlet Witch... Maximoff. Well, there were two of those so that was probably his best shot.

Toad typed the word quickly and ran a search. His eyes brightened when he found more than a few links. He maneuvered the mouse to bring up recent news articles and got another surprise when he found not only a story, but a picture.

_NYC Elite Attend Annual Black and White Ball_, the headline shouted, and the caption below the picture read, _Host Wilson Fisk of Fisk Corp. greets his guests; (Starting from left) Harry Osborne, Pietro Maximoff, Paris Hilton._

Toad glanced around the room again to make sure he was alone and then began printing what he found. After a few more minutes of searching, he felt he had found enough information to present Magneto with from his first successful search. It never struck him as odd that nothing was found online about the second Maximoff.

Toad folded up the papers and stowed them in his jacket, just as he heard other voices echoing up the hall. He glanced to the left and saw Rebecca give him a brief wave.

"Morning..." she managed through a yawn, rubbing her temples unhappily as she shuffled toward the kitchen, "Toast... I need toast..."

"The bread kind, right?" Sid teased as he followed her. He straightened his tie and hung his expensive suit jacket over a chair. He spotted Toad and gave him a little obnoxious salute.

"Checking email?" Sid asked with a toothy grin.

"Yeah, sure," Toad replied with a glare, and then frowned curiously. He knew Sid Malloy had some sort of tech company in the city and he wondered if he knew anything about the photo he found.

"You ever heard of the Black and White ball?" Toad asked.

Sid blinked with surprise, "Oh, yeah. Usually hosted by Wilson Fisk and his flunkies. It's this big exclusive party they have downtown for all the big wigs."

"What'd'you know about it?" Toad asked and Sid shrugged.

"Just what I said," he admitted, "Despite my rising fame, I'm afraid I have never received an invitation. Although, maybe now that I'm in New York again, that'll change..."

Toad scowled at Sid's irritating good humor, especially this early in the morning. Fortunately, his mood was balanced out by his sister, who looked absolutely miserable as she wandered out of the kitchen with a loaf of bread, a glass of water and two aspirin.

"When'd'they usually have it?" Toad continued interrogating Sid.

"I think it's in the fall," Sid said, "When it's not too hot for tuxes and not to cold for the ladies to strut around in their sexiest gowns."

_Damn_, Toad thought. The next ball was months from now, and there was no guarantee the same guests would be there. He would have to see what Magneto wanted to do before he acted.

The front door opened again and Mystique walked casually in. She smiled politely, and nodded once at Toad, who returned the gesture. He knew the plan. She would pass on any new orders from Magneto to Pyro and they would head back to the base.

"Ahh! Shit!" Rebecca suddenly shouted from the kitchen table. One of her breakfast experiments was smoldering on the floor as she snuffed out the flaming piece of toast with the last of her water. Hangovers certainly did not help her control her powers.

Toad shook his head again, still wondering what the hell Magneto wanted Pyro to learn from these people.


	23. Chpt 22: Training

Chapter Twenty-Two:

"Are you guys ready down there?" Sid Malloy asked impatiently into a wall-mounted speaker.

His voice echoed through a modestly sized silver room, which was bare except for a large cement wall positioned in the middle of the floor and the two mutants entering through a large metal door.

Rebecca glared upward at a row of glass windows and waved dismissingly at her brother. She could see him, as well as Mystique and Toad, staring down at Pyro and herself, all waiting for the session to begin. The twins had promised the Brotherhood duo a look in on Pyro's training and the Underground's 'gymnasiums' were usually unoccupied during the day.

That morning the Malloys had decided it might be better to keep their guests occupied while Mary and Gambit were still around. The previous night had passed without incident (at least between mutants) and the twins wanted to keep it that way. If either of Xavier's students had accompanied them, they would have seen more than a few similarities between the Underground's training hall and the Danger Room back at the mansion.

"Be nice in front of the Brotherhood, Sid," Rebecca called back and walked with Pyro to the center of the room.

The younger pyretic looked a little nervous as he ran one hand experimentally along the blocks in the wall.

"Thought we were gonna use one of Sid's cars..." Pyro said, trying to keep the anxiety out of his voice, "You know I hate trying to burn this shit..."

Rebecca grinned sympathetically, "You said you wanted to impress them, right? I'm sure Magneto knows how hot cinder blocks need to be to burn. That kind of heat takes focus and control. Besides, it's not like you weren't able to do it before."

"Yeah," Pyro said doubtfully, "Different with an audience though..."

Rebecca put a reassuring hand on his shoulder for a moment and then walked to the other side of the wall. She placed several gauges along the bricks, which would send temperature information to a computer station in the observation room. She glanced once at Pyro to make sure he was in the correction position before moving away from the wall. She glanced up at Sid, who threw her a thumbs up to say the readouts were working.

"Okay, kid," Rebecca said with a grin, "It's your game now."

Pyro nodded and took one long breath. He did his best to ignore the watchful stares of his Brothers and took his lighter out of his pocket. Holding his hand out in front of him, Pyro spun the igniting wheel and felt the flame come to life. He savored it for a moment, letting all of his uncertainty melt away, and his mouth drew into a broad grin.

The fire leapt from his hand in an orange wave, rolling in on itself as it shot toward the wall until it was shaped into a steady line of flames. The heat was immediate, and seeped through the protective glass of the upper room. There was a muted roar as the fire impacted the cement and splashed against the surface in a plume of light. The observers had to shield their eyes for a moment until element fell into Pyro's control.

* * *

Toad's eyes widened in honest surprise as the fire began to even out and focus on the cinder blocks. The last time he had seen Pyro in training, the boy had nearly burned down half of their Island liar. He glanced toward the temperature read outs and noted that their observation deck was nearing ninety degrees and the training room was cresting at nearly one hundred and ten. Toad took a step back away from the glass windows, examining the structure uncertainly.

As if sharing Toad's doubts about their safety, Mystique shifted her eyes from the fire to Sid.

"How much heat can these windows hold?" she asked with a frown.

Sid nodded, his brow furrowed as he watched the training session. His face was no longer marked with the easy-going smirk of a rising playboy. His expression was dark, almost calculating, as he monitored the equipment around them, and he suddenly seemed much older than his counted years of life.

"Don't worry," Sid replied calmly, "Rebecca and I helped design this room. The glass has been tempered to withstand heats beyond what it will take to bring down that wall..."

Mystique tilted her head curiously and turned her attention back toward the training room. Pyro seemed to be near ecstasy as the flames danced at his command. The control he had gain was more extensive than she would have thought possible in such a short time. Magneto would not be disappointed in the boy's progress.

The shape shifter's attention moved again, this time setting on Rebecca, who was standing with her arms folded as she watched the wall begin to burn. The younger woman shared her brother's disciplined regard for the session. The intense heat did not seem to disturb her in the least.

* * *

A strange whine began to fill the air as the molecules of cement protested the ever increasing heat forced on them. The wall seemed to expand, bulging in the center as if the bricks were ready to pop. Pyro did not react as the wall began to bubble, simply continued to focus the flames on the weakening area.

After a few more moments, the cement seemed to fall back in on itself and the wall crumbled to the ground in a fiery mass. A cloud of dust and smoke rose into the air and trailed across the ceiling.

Pyro still held one hand outstretched, reaching for the remaining fire. The heat began to fade immediately as he used his gift to extinguish the destroyed wall. The orange light that had filled the room faded and the observers had to blink away the afterimages in order to see into the darkening training room.

Once most of the fires were out, Rebecca signaled up to Sid to open the ventilation ducts in the ceiling. Fresh air flowed in from outside, dissipating the smoke and dust.

Pyro walked over to the ruined wall and glared down at the rubble gleefully. He stepped on a piece of brick, crushing it to ash with satisfaction, picturing more than a few faces under his boot. He ignored Rebecca's reproachful stare as he looked up toward the glass windows and spun his lighter in his fingers.

"So...you think they're impressed?" Pyro asked with a dark grin.

Rebecca just watched at him firmly and then began to recite the lessons she and Sid had been taught years before.

"First rule..." she said to the younger mutant, who glanced at her with annoyance.

"Oh, come on, Bec... not now..." he pleaded but knew it was a loosing argument.

"First... rule..." she repeated, waiting for the proper response.

Pyro sighed and faced her, before answering, "Control is power..."

Rebecca nodded, and continued, "Second rule..."

"Own it, don't let it own you..." Pyro said, sounding bored at the preachy routine.

"Third rule?" Rebecca asked, watching him carefully as he responded.

Pyro's eyes shifted briefly to the glass windows again before he spoke.

"Never use it against anyone else," he finished, glaring at her unhappily.

Rebecca nodded in return and, suddenly, the strange disciplined stance and expression disappeared, a response so conditioned she barely seemed to register the change.

"They better be impressed," Rebecca said, grinning broadly, "If we have to blow up Sid's car, we'll be walking back to the house."

Pyro did not return her grin as she headed toward the exit. The 'rules' always followed each training, but he had hoped she would not force him to recite it today. He loved what he was learning to do, but he hated the Malloy's rhetoric sometimes. Reminded him too much of life at Xavier's.

He snapped his lighter shut against his palm and followed Rebecca out of the room.


	24. Chpt 23: Warning Call

Chapter Twenty-Three:

The Malloy home was very quiet in the early afternoon.

The twins had taken the Brotherhood into the city for a few hours. Oz and Lance had gone to gather their instruments and equipment from the nightclub while it was troll-free. Gambit had taken the rental car downtown to meet a 'business associate' for something. It was too early for the vampires to be waking and Nancy had not been around since before noon.

Fortunately, Mary did not mind having some peaceful time to herself after such an eventful night. The house was large, but not overwhelming. Each room seemed to have its own small library, shelves lined with enough old texts to keep any curious reader occupied for years. The variety of topics reminded her oddly of the Professor, with history and science on one wall and an encyclopedia of ancient chants on another.

Most of the open wall space was occupied by hanging art and scattered photographs. Mary smiled as she examined the pictures. As strange as their family was, the Malloys certainly seemed content in their lifestyle. She noted that some of the frames looked damaged, even singed in places, and she wondered if they had been salvaged from their destroyed home in Chicago.

In one corner of the dining room, Mary spotted a weathered scrapbook sitting openly on a corner table. A fine layer of dust had settled on the leather cover and Mary brushed on hand along it carefully before she opened it.

The first pages seemed to be the oldest, yellow signs of age creeping along the edges of the white paper. There were four photos mounted on the first sheet, each with a different view of a white farmhouse surrounded by fields of early spring corn. There was a large tree shading the rear porch, its branches outstretched beyond the home's roof. The next set of four photos was much of the same and included a few random shots of a small mid-western town.

As Mary paged through the book, the paper holding the photos was getting newer (younger) while the people in the pictures grew older. The timeline jumped as she reached portraits of the Malloys themselves. The first shot must have been taken less than six or seven years before, as both Rebecca and Sid seemed to be at least fifteen. Sebastian was standing behind them, a characteristic smirk on all their faces.

Mary felt herself grinning again as she moved on. There were pictures of birthdays, Christmas, summer vacations, everything any family might have in an album. However, Mary found herself wondering why there was such a time gap between the first pictures of the town and the later ones of Sebastian and the twins.

After a few minutes, Mary reached the end and was about the close the book when the final photo caught her eye. It was easily the oldest picture, creased down the center as if it had been folded, but obviously restored to its original size with care. She frowned curiously, not recognizing the two people from any other photo in the album. There was a young man and woman sitting next to each other on a wooden fence. They were both looking at the camera with annoyed, but good-humored smiles, as if the snapshot had been unexpected.

Still, they were oddly familiar and it took Mary a moment to realize who she was looking at.

"Their parents..." she muttered with surprise.

The couple in the photo was Rebecca and Sid's parents. The Professor had been hesitant to speak about them, at least to Mary, who had heard what Xavier knew about the family through Rogue. Somehow, the pair did not seem as dangerous as the others had insinuated. They were just sitting together, enjoying a sunny day, when someone came up behind them through the cornfield and took their picture...

_Through the corn,_ Mary thought, unconsciously placing her hand down on the scrapbook's pages, _That's where the danger is... that's where the fire is... stay out of the rows..._

"Checking out the history of the moron twins?" a voice suddenly asked her.

Mary gasped and nearly dropped the album as she was startled out of her thoughts. She glanced to her left and saw Nancy walking toward her from the front hall. The witch was grinning and shaking her head as she stepped up beside Mary.

"Pathetic, right?" Nancy asked sarcastically, and glanced over the other young woman's shoulder, "Aw, mum and pop. Who knew such normal looking people were responsible for _them_..."

Nancy tone was scathing, but not without humor. The twins seemed to take any of the witch's insulting remarks with a nostalgic grain of salt, so Mary assumed it was just their established repertoire.

Mary nodded and grinned, "Did you ever know them? Their parents, I mean..."

Nancy shook her head as she took a seat nearby and lit a new cigarette.

"No," she replied, "They were long gone before I met Bec and Sid. Here, look at this..."

Nancy reached over and flipped the pages back to nearly the center of the book. She settled on a group of photos obviously taken in a classroom and at a graduation.

"You guys went to high school together?" Mary asked.

Nancy shrugged, "Sort of. It was kind of a preppy institution, if you know what I mean. Just outside of Chicago."

Mary nodded and examined the pictures. She spotted Nancy in a few of them, looking more or less like her present self, and glaring with irritation at the grinning masses crowding her into each shot.

"Looks like a lot more fun then my school back home," Mary said with a sigh, "There were only three of us in my graduating class."

"Oh, yeah, loads of fun," Nancy replied, taking a long drag before adding, "As long as you don't mind the ghosts..."

Mary grinned, "And the vampires and the witches and the werewolves..."

"Now you're getting the idea," Nancy said with a laugh and then glanced at Mary thoughtfully, "Doesn't freak you out too much, does it?"

"I think..." Mary replied with wary amusement, "...I'm getting used to it. They won't mind that I was looking at this, will they? I didn't mean to be nosy..."

"Nah..." Nancy said before getting to her feet again, "You would never have known that book existed if there was something there they didn't want anyone to see..."

The witch widened her eyes dramatically as she headed out of the room, throwing around the same insinuations that everyone else seemed to enjoy. Mary watched her leave, and then put the scrapbook back in its place on the table. She continued to find strange comfort in the fact that she was not the only one in the world with secrets.

* * *

After Nancy's brief conversation with Mary, the witch headed down the guest hall. Any good humor she had when talking about the Malloy's photo album had left her face.

She approached the rooms that had been occupied by the visiting members of the Brotherhood, and peered into each one cautiously to make sure they were both gone. She did not care so much about the Toad as the shape shifter. Nancy knew the blue skinned mutant's earlier questions had not been planned, but they had certainly not been random.

Once she was sure there were no eaves droppers around, Nancy walked around the house to Rebecca's room and closed the door. All of the windows were draped in heavy cloth to prevent daylight from bothering Harmony, who was still asleep on a guest futon. A dim light shone from Nancy's hand as she turned on her cell phone and hit the number 5. She waited patiently and on the fifth ring, someone answered on the other end.

"Wanda..." Nancy said quietly into the receiver, "It's me. I'm in New York. And you were right. _He is trying to find you again..._"


	25. Chpt 24: Mssg to the Guild

Chapter Twenty-Four:

Gambit sat patiently as the large man behind the desk took a long pull on his cigar.

The room was not dark, but the dingy windows did not allow in much of the afternoon sun and shadows lingered in the office's far corners. Gambit could feel the large man's personal bodyguards eyeing him cautiously, but any pressure caused by the stares did not show on the Cajun's face.

The large man was known as Ivan the Red in New York City, Sunny Blacktooth in L.A. and Jackie Irish throughout the south and at least half a dozen other aliases around the world. Gambit knew the man's real name, but would not have given it away for his life.

'Ivan' happened to be a close friend to a certain guild in New Orleans, which had more than a few members with the last name LeBeau. The large man blew smoke noisily through his meaty lips and raised a curious eyebrow at his guest.

"To what do I owe the honor this surprise visit, Remy?" Ivan asked, "Not on business for your father, I assume. Last time I spoke to him, he refused to even say your name..."

Gambit nodded and sighed, rubbing his eyes with his fingers behind his dark glasses.

"_Oui, je compris_," he said with a resigning grin, "Unfortunately... we did not part on good terms..."

The large man snorted, "I suppose not. By the way your father was acting, I thought maybe you had left this world all together."

"Sorry to disappoint you," Gambit replied with a grin, "But, that is not such a terrible thing for some people to think _maintenant_..."

"Of course not," the large man interrupted, "Loan sharks don't go after dead men."

Gambit nodded, his face turning somber, "_Ami¸_ if all I had to worry about were some gambling debts, Remy would still be in New Orleans."

The large man puffed on his cigar and frowned deeply, "What is it then? Police? F.B.I.?"

Gambit shook his head and sighed heavily again, a strange smirk forming on his lips.

"No...no...much more complicated than that..." he replied, and the large man suddenly grinned again.

"A woman, then, is it?" Ivan asked and his gut shook as he bellowed in laughter, "Has Bella's father been on you again about marriage?"

Gambit grinned but did not entirely share the large man's amusement. Xavier's school may have been stuffy, but at least while he was there he could forget about his Big Easy woes. Having his wide range of personal troubles listed aloud made him feel like he was trapped among a jury of his peers.

"Unfortunately, no," Gambit said, "I didn't come here because of money or love or even to hide from the authorities. I just hoped... you would be able to get a message to the guild... and to my father..."

Gambit shifted his head toward the bodyguards, and then back to Ivan, indicating that the message was not for all ears to hear. Ivan nodded, grumbled orders to his men to wait outside. Once they were gone, the large man leaned forward on his desk and waited for Remy to continue.

With a reluctant motion of his hand, Gambit took the sunglasses from his face. Ivan did not immediately react as the younger man revealed his strangely colored eyes. Gambit waited as his condition was scrutinized. Finally, the large man shifted back in his chair and folded his hands on his large abdomen.

"You were never a lucky boy, Remy," Ivan said, considerately but without pity, "No one back home knows about this, yes? They would have mentioned it... _guaranteed_ they would have, at least to me..."

Gambit shook his head, "No. No one. It happened after the _grand mal_ a few months ago. If you thought Remy was dangerous with his hands before..."

The large man scoffed, "Bah... you're just like your _pere_... even if neither of you will admit it. Don't start thinking this new _condition_ of yours makes you any different than the rascal you were before..."

"No, sir," Gambit said, smiling again, "That is why I came to you. I knew you would be able to get news of me to the guild without the words spreading over all of New Orleans, yes?"

"Let them know you were not abducted by Martians or the mob," Ivan said, "Very well. I will tell them what you want me to. But I don't understand the secrecy. The guild would not turn you out just because you are a mutant now..."

Gambit nodded and held up one hand defensively, "As always... my problem is _not_ so simple..."

"Nothing ever is, boy," Ivan said, "Especially for us mutants..."

Gambit nodded, and watched without surprise as the large man stretched out a second set of beefy arms and, with the third of his four hands, put his cigar to his lips.

* * *

Author's note: Did anyone else know that MSWord spellchecker forces you to spell 'martians' with a capital M? Huh... 


	26. Chpt 25: Toad's Search

Chapter Twenty-Five:

Later that evening, after all the guests had returned, the Malloys treated them to a fabulous buffet of pizza and beer prepared in the safety of their home. No one really seemed interested in venturing into the city for another adventure. The evening news was still reporting random acts of shoe store weirdness, but the wave of odd customers had boosted sales of vintage platform shoes by eight hundred percent, so retailers were not really complaining.

Toad had quickly detached himself from the revelers (he really had no interest in listening to the blonde vampire tell ridiculous stories from her high school), and made his way up to the rooftop deck. The sky had turned cloudy after the sun set, the moon shrouded until there was nothing left of its light but a vague circular hazy. The only other visible light was from the lamp above the doorway to the stairs, which lead down into the house.

Toad crouched in one far corner of the roof, his elbows leaning against his knees. He would have been nearly invisible in the heavy shadows if not for the glow of his small computer. He held the screen close to his face, a habit remaining from when he was young, before his severely nearsighted eyes had been effectively treated. By now, he had most of the names on Magneto's list memorized, but that did not get him any closer to locating anyone.

The articles he had found online about 'Maximoff, Pietro' were still tucked safely inside of his coat, but he wanted more than news clippings to show when he and Mystique returned to the Island. The blue shape shifter had reported back to Magneto earlier about the progress of Pyro's training, and Toad had been quietly relieved when she made no mention of seeing the 'secret' list. Their leader had been pleased to hear about Pyro's advancements, and had not sounded surprised about the 'rules' that Rebecca was forcing the boy to recite. Rules were the way of the Council, Magneto had explained, and since it had not troubled him, then it did not trouble Toad.

_Shame Pyro didn't get to blow up the car,_ Toad thought to himself and grinned, reminiscing back on the events outside of the Westchester train station from nearly two years before.

Magneto had tossed around the police vehicles like Matchbox toys, and Pyro had told them about destroying the cars outside of the home of one of the X-Men. Next time the Brotherhood is faced with the authorities, it was going to be one hell of a show.

Toad tucked the computer inside of his coat (double checking to make sure it was secure), and scaled down along the side of the building until he reached the line of parked cars. He hoped Mystique noticed that their transportation was missing at some point before he got back, just so she knew that he was carrying on with Magneto's mission, whether or not she thought she had some kind of advantage over him.

The city streets were fairly calm as Toad made his way downtown. He had equipped the car with a navigation system long ago, a luxury rarely needed but one he was grateful to have tonight. There had only been one 'Maximoff, Pietro' listed in the New York metropolitan area. The address was a penthouse in a very exclusive residential area. Toad knew he would have no problem driving through the area unnoticed. Magneto had no problem acquiring high-end automobiles, and the tinted windows ensured pedestrians would not spot the mutant driver.

Toad followed the route indicated by the navigator until he neared a swanky high rise. He drove slowly past the entrance but did not stop. There were two bellhops giving salutations to residents as they arrived or departed and Toad could see a security station just inside the glass doors.

After he had parked the car in the back of the building, Toad took a paper out of his pocket and double-checked the apartment number.

_14-C_, he thought and grumbled unhappily, "Bloody wonderful..."

As he climbed toward the fourteenth floor, Toad maneuvered around rows of windows and wide decks that jutted out past the outer wall. He could hear random snippets of conversation as he moved upward, and his face melted into a hateful sneer. The people sounded mostly happy, chatting and laughing, sitting high above the real world in their gilded flats, stuffing their rich faces with sweet breads and champagne, having no idea what life was like beyond their carefree and cushioned existence.

Toad could feel raw fury burning behind his eyes. The soft light coming from the various apartments seemed sharp and hateful. The happy voices mocked him as he scuttled through the dark. He hated soft. He hated posh. He hated anything that made life normal, because normal had always hated him.

His fingertips were becoming sore as he scraped his way upward, moving with uncanny speed, almost too fast for the sticky secretion on his hands to give him a solid grip on the rough wall. Toad did not notice his discomfort. He was nearly shaking with outrage at the humans around him and all the light had turned to horrid shades of gray.

It took him a moment to realize his fingers were losing their adhesion to the stone and Toad inhaled sharply as he began to slide downward. He reached out for something to grasp, his booted feet scraping uselessly against the finished surface.

_No trolls to break your fall this time, mate_, Toad thought, a panicked chuckle caught in his throat as he tumbled backward.

Fortunately, Toad did not fall far before his body impacted into a solid surface, which was thankfully lined with some kind of cushioning. He lay there for a moment, watching the pretty stars dance in front of his face. He blinked a few times, letting the endorphins of relief rush into his system, before registering the dull pain in his back.

"Oh...fuckin'ell," Toad muttered unhappily, and put a hand to his head before sitting up.

He glanced around and realized he had landed square in the middle of a long fold out pillow. He sighed heavily and chuckled again.

"Bloody futon to the rescue," he said aloud, and then froze when a voice spoke from nearby.

"Whoa," a small, surprised little boy said from shadows, "Are you okay?"

Toad was on his feet in an instant, reflexively taking a defensive stance when he heard the boy speak.

"Where the heck did you come from?" the boy asked with a strange kind of awe.

Toad frowned and tilted his head. The boy was sitting cross-legged on another pile of pillows. His skin was dark and he was wearing a blanket over his head like a hood. All that was really visible were the whites of his intensely curious eyes. The kid did not seem frightened, and Toad was grateful for it. All he needed was the kid to start screaming for mum and da before Toad could get on with his mission.

Without replying to the boy, Toad crouched and took one of his gloves off. He flexed his webbed fingers experimentally, and scowled with annoyance as the moisture slowly returned to his skin. He did not notice the little boy inching toward him carefully.

"Hey!" the boy suddenly exclaimed, making Toad jump back into fighting stance, "Your hands are just like mine!"

Toad watched with surprise as the boy walked right up next to him and held out one hand proudly. Toad noticed for the first time that the kid's skin was dark purple, except for his left eye, which was encircled with a sickly brown ring.

The English mutant regarded the webbing between the boy's fingers and then flexed his own hand again in comparison. Toad glanced uncomfortably at the boy, who looked like he had just inherited Disneyland. As if the expression was contagious, Toad began to grin as well. He scratched his head and wondered if he had been knocked out. The mutant boy's strange enthusiasm seemed a little surreal.

"Um..." Toad began uneasily, "D'you know what floor this is?"

The boy's eyes widened again when he heard Toad's accent, his new guest becoming even cooler cause he sounded like Harry Potter.

"Eleven. I live in apartment eleven-B, one-o-nine south Ascher Street, New York," the boy replied proudly, and then asked with heartbreaking innocence, "Are you from Hogwarts?"

Toad frowned, having no idea what the hell 'Hogwarts' was, and shook his head.

"From England," he replied simply and the boy nodded with delight.

"Yeah! That's where Hogwarts is!" he replied, "Is that where you're from?"

"No..." Toad said, still grinning strangely, "I'm... from... York... actually..."

The boy frowned, "You mean 'New York'?"

"No..." Toad replied, "I'm from York...Old York. The first one was in England."

"No way!" the boy replied, "That's almost as cool as Hogwarts!"

Toad nodded, but glanced around with confusion, "Yeah, right..."

Suddenly, the deck doors shuttered as someone pounded on them from the other side. The boy winced and drew the blanket closer around his face. Toad frowned and noticed for the first time that all the windows around the deck had been covered in heavy drapes. He glanced back at the boy with a questioning stare.

"I'm not supposed to be loud," the boy replied in a whisper, "We've got company. I'm supposed to stay out here when we've got company. Mom and dad says people will get mad if I bother them..."

The boy's jovial expression had changed so quickly to shame that Toad felt new anger stir in his chest. When the boy looked at him again, it was with a strange desperation.

"I'm not botherin' you, am I?" he asked, taking a few steps back, "Cause I'll leave you alone if I am. I didn't mean to bother you... I didn't mean to make you mad..."

Toad blinked, and shook the new scowl from his face. The boy had mistaken it as something directed at him. After a moment, the green mutant composed himself and offered the boy another friendly grin.

"You're not botherin' me," Toad replied, trying to sound supportive, "I never met anybody else wit' webbin' either..."

The relief that washed over the boy's small form was so intense that he began to shake. Toad examined him again closely, and speculated about the strange brown discoloration around his eye. He wondered if it was mum or da who liked to hit.

"I gotta go," Toad said, and the boy looked despondent again, "I'm... workin' now. Gotta finish and get back home."

"Back to Old York," the boy asked with a grin.

"Yeah," Toad said in agreement, not wanting to spoil their vague bond.

"Can you come back and visit again?" the boy asked hopefully.

"No," Toad replied honestly. He would not give the mutant boy any false hopes. The kid did not have a terrible life here, at least compared to the hell Toad grew up in. From the piles of books around, he figured the kid could read, and there was a basket full of food and snacks near the doors. Even the black eye seemed minor against the gray areas of hate that hid Toad's memories of 'old York'.

The boy watched sadly as Toad got to his feet and pulled the black fingerless glove back over his hand. He tested his grip against the outer wall surface and pulled himself out over the ledge. Before he crawled away, Toad paused and glanced back at the kid.

"What flat you say this was again?" he asked, and the boy puzzled for a moment before Toad corrected, "I mean... apartment. What apartment is this?"

"Eleven-B," the boy replied, and then stressed, "In _New_ York."

"_New_ York," Toad repeated with a reluctant grin and then began to scale the wall upward again. He did not look back.

After three more floors, Toad turned a sharp left and climbed around to the other side of the building. He counted the windows until he reached an outcropping next to the corner flat. The apartment was obviously larger than most in the building and from what Toad could see, it was much more luxurious as well.

There were voices coming from within and Toad moved closer to a pair of large open windows. He glanced inside, partially hidden by flowing curtains and regarded those present carefully.

He saw three women and two men, all sitting comfortably around a lavish dining table and chatting amusedly among themselves. Toad did not make an effort to hear what they were saying. It was obvious that neither of the men were Maximoff. He waited, and after a few more minutes, one of the ladies called out loudly.

"What _are you doing_ in there, Pietro?" she chided silkily, "Smashing the grapes yourself?"

"He could..." one of the men shot back, "...as fast as he likes to do things..."

"Not _everything_," another of the woman replied, garnering laughter from the ensemble.

Toad ignored them and turned his attention to the far side of the room as a man with starkly blonde hair joined the group. He was in his mid-thirties, slender to the point of being gaunt, and smiled suavely at his guests as he offered to refresh their wine.

"I _abhor_ stomping," Pietro Maximoff announced to his guests, "Far too strenuous. I simply took a quick sprint to the Napa Valley..."

The guests all praised his wit with peals of robotic laughter. Toad also grinned, but not at the other man's humor. This was definitely the mutant from Magneto's list. Toad reached into one of his many pockets and took out a small camera. After snapping a few close ups of Mr. Maximoff, he shifted himself away from the window and moved back down toward the car.

Now, he not only had an address, but also had documentation identifying the mutant; more than enough to please Magneto and to wipe the smug amusement of his 'failure' off Mystique's face. The mutant's listed nickname was Quicksilver and Toad wondered if Pietro's 'sprinting' comment had been a joke.


	27. Chpt 26: Maximoff

Chapter Twenty-Six:

"...And I _told_ Paris, if she wanted to see me again, she simply _had_ to ditch that television career or all I would _ever_ see when I looked at her were the _pigs!_"

The room exploded into new laughter as Pietro Maximoff disparaged yet another of his celebrity conquests. Life in New York for a rich playboy was so easy it was almost a chore. And, Pietro certainly did not mind complaining. The woman next to him slapped his knee playfully and swooned with false outrage.

"Oh, Pi, you simply are the _worst_," the woman chided, her words slurred, "Personally, I can't _believe_ you took her to the Black and White ball. I mean..._really_...when I was _so available..._"

Pietro shrugged and grinned wickedly. He was the only one in the room who did not seem bothered by the effects of too much alcohol. He always claimed it was his metabolism that burned the booze out so quickly... and he was telling the truth. Not that he would ever tell anyone he was a mutant. He preferred to enjoy the range of his powers privately. His feet were quick, and his body always kept up.

Everything about him was just... fast... and that included the brief associations he had with the city's female population, celebrity or not.

When the phone began to ring, Pietro glanced over his shoulder with annoyance.

"I bet that's her now," one of the men remarked wryly, "Hey, if she's outta your game... give her my number!"

Pietro chuckled politely and excused himself before heading into the study. He was still smirking when he picked up the receiver, wondering which of his lady friends was pining for him tonight.

"Hello, hello, you've reached the home of hot and sexy, how can I help you?" Pietro greeted the caller, words running out of his mouth quickly.

"Hello, brother," the female voice on the other end replied, "How have you been?"

Pietro felt his whole world come to a screeching halt.

"W...Wa..." he stuttered into the phone before clearing his throat and continuing, "Wand... Wanda. Wanda? Oh... holy shit..."

There was soft laughter on the other end, though the sound was not at all like the voices of his friends. It was cold, bitter and humorless.

"What?" Wanda Maximoff replied to her brother, "Not happy to hear from me?"

"No...no..." Pietro stammered, feeling prickly sweat begin to form on his neck, "I mean, yeah, it's good to talk again. How long has..."

"Five years," Wanda replied before the question could be totally asked, "I hate to think I've neglected our relationship for such a long time but... I've have been busy..."

His sister's voice was dripping with sarcasm and Pietro felt a measure of relief. If she had wanted to fight, hexed furniture and appliances would already be flying at his head.

"Hey, no hard feelings, right?" Pietro said quickly, "You should come out to New York sometime. You'd love New York. Right on the coast. I know you love the ocean. And all the sights! You've never been to Radio City. Time Square. Central Park. Statue of Lib..."

"Have you talked to him?" Wanda interrupted, that familiar rage filling her voice so suddenly that Pietro did not have to ask which 'him' she was talking about.

"No... no... not since before he went to jail," Pietro insisted quickly, "Why..."

"Because he's looking for us," Wanda said and then reconsidered, "Well, he's looking for me anyway. It's never that hard to find you. How was Paris, by the way?"

Pietro ground his teeth angrily and ignored the jibe, "What makes you think..."

"I have sources," Wanda interrupted again, no patience for her brother's ramblings, no matter how fast he talked, "Apparently, two of the Brotherhood are in the city. They're looking for mutants on some list he has put together. Frankly, I thought we'd be hearing from him sooner. It's been almost a year since he escaped from his imprisonment..."

Pietro struggled again not to wince as his sister spoke. Her insinuations were not subtle.

"What do you want me to do?" he finally asked and he heard Wanda laugh bitterly.

"Always trying to please..." she chided with amusement, "Always trying to keep your neck out of the fray..."

There was a pause and then she continued.

"Do whatever you like, Pietro," she said, "I really don't care. It's not like you know where I am. What could you tell him about besides our oh-so-frequent phone chats..."

"What are you going to do?" Pietro asked before Wanda tried to hang up. If she was going to have the last word, it might as well be an answer to his question.

There was another long pause, and Wanda's voice spoke one more time before the line went dead.

"_Do you really want to know?_"


	28. Chpt 27: Heading Back

Chapter Twenty-Seven:

"Well... I hope you guys had a good time," Rebecca Malloy said as she helped Mary lug her bags to the car.

Mary grinned, "Everything was great. I have to call my grandmother when we get back to the school. She wanted to know all about my first trip to New York City. I don't know if I'm gonna tell her about the Trolls though..."

Gambit slammed the trunk of the car shut and dusted his hands together. He did not look as excited about returning to the doldrums of the mansion as Mary, but now that word of him was headed to New Orleans, he knew the city might no longer be entirely safe.

He leaned back against the car and lit a cigarette as the ladies chatted. The morning sun was bright and warm. Gambit glanced upward at the passing clouds thoughtfully, taking a moment to enjoy the pleasant weather before the long ride back to Westchester.

Gambit tilted his head slight and frowned. There was someone watching them from the door of the house. Taking another casual drag from his cigarette, Gambit wandered over toward the front steps and grinned obnoxiously.

"Hello, _ami_," he said to the mutant crouching nearby, "Have you come to wish us a fond farewell?"

Toad scowled up at the Cajun and shifted a step back into the shadowy doorway.

"Just makin' sure you're leavin' first," Toad said and then added with a sneer, "Makin' sure you're not trying to talk Pyro into goin' back with you..."

Gambit sighed heavily and shook his head, "_Ami_, do you really think I'm some kind of recruiter sent here by the good Professor? I'm not exactly the poster child for his X-Men..."

Toad shifted his attention back to Mary and Rebecca. He tried to ignore Gambit, but the other mutant's banter did not end easily once it had begun.

"... And, besides, the boy does not seem unhappy where he is," Gambit continued as he smoked, "He is learning, no? With the help of our good friend and her brother. Why would I try to sell Pyro something he's already tried and disliked?"

Toad glanced at Gambit again with a measure of surprise. He knew the Cajun was still fairly new to Xavier's ranks. He had not been involved in conflict with the Brotherhood before the fight in Chicago. But, despite his attitude, Gambit was one of the X-Men and, as long as that was true, then he was an enemy.

"What about her?" Toad said, gesturing toward Mary with a jerk of his head.

Gambit made a dismissive noise as he blew smoke from his lips.

"She was just here for the Trolls," he replied, "She had a vision of them, and that's why we are here. It's _bizarre, ami_. The things she can see. Not only the future. She has a knack of finding things that are lost. It's almost like she's watching what you did in... um, rewind, you know... before you lost whatever you are looking for..."

Toad stared at the Cajun blankly as he spoke, uncertain how to take his words or figure out why the X-Man was telling him this. Toad remembered Mary from the hanger of the Sentinel. He remembered the threatening cold reaching for Magneto (and Xavier). He remembered the strange light that had forced the cold to retreat...

"The visions, though," Gambit continued, "She is hit hard by them. Doctor cannot explain them. I think Mary is more of a challenge for Xavier than he will admit. There's something he is hiding, I think. Something he doesn't want her to know... _guarantee..._"

"What? Are you a bloody mind shrinker now too?" Toad asked cynically.

But, Gambit did not look amused by the other mutant's dig. He snuffed the cigarette out against his shoe and discarded the butt onto the pavement.

"Remy don't need to be," Gambit said soberly, "He has seen enough strange things in his past to know how the 'grown ups' look when they are worried. Jus'like dey in his family used to look at him back on the Bayou. Remy jus' hopes fear doesn't take dem in de X-Men before dey find out de truth."

Gambit's accent got heavier as his mind wandered back over his own memories. Then, as if his worries had suddenly been forgotten, he turned toward Toad and grinned again.

"You see why Remy needed a vacation, no?" Gambit said.

Toad frowned at him with confusion for a moment. Before he was anywhere near forming a reply, the ladies approached them from the driveway.

"Ready to hit the road?" Rebecca asked, and then made a mock attempt to whisper, "I stowed some 'supplies' with your luggage. Sebastian won't notice that some of his whiskey is missing until you guys are long gone."

Gambit extended his arms grandly and embraced Rebecca with exaggerated appreciation.

"_Merci! Merci!_" he announced, scrunching his eyes shut as if he were close to tears, "_Merci beaucoup, chere!_ Remy shall never forget your kindness... at least, not until the bottles are empty and he thirsts once again!"

Rebecca shrugged him off comically, "Yeah, sure, whatever, you mooch. I was encouraging Mary to let you imbibe yourself into unconsciousness so she could have a nice, quiet ride home."

"_Pas un problem pour moi_," Gambit said with a shrug.

"Unless Storm's there when we get back," Mary added, "Then, Remy's gonna have a huge problem."

"Ah, _c'est vrai_," Gambit agreed, sounding distraught, "And so I shall resist and endure. I was just telling _mon ami_ Toad _ici_ about the horrible conditions we must endure at our educational prison..."

"Oh, please..." Toad muttered, shifting uncomfortably as their attention turned toward him.

"Oh, _mon ami!_" Gambit bantered on unstoppably, "Remy will miss you most of all!"

"D'you ever shut up?" Toad replied with a new sneer.

"Come on..." Gambit pestered, his arms extended, "Give us a hug..."

"Will you get the bloody hell away from me!" Toad shouted back with annoyance, as the Cajun's hands reached out toward him. Gambit laughed aloud and clapped Toad once on the shoulder, as if they were the best of pals, before turning back toward Mary.

"Hurry up and call 'shot gun', _chere_," Gambit said with a grin.

Mary frowned, "Um... okay. Shot gun. But there're only two of us..."

"_Oui!_" Gambit exclaimed as he sprinted toward the car, "That means I get to drive!"

Rebecca chuckled again as Mary watched her travel companion run off with amusement.

"Where did you say the whiskey was?" Mary asked with a weary grin before following Gambit down the driveway.

Rebecca waved and called out for them to have a safe trip. She turned to head back into the house, but paused and looked at Toad curiously.

"You guys sticking around for a bit? I didn't see Mystique packing her bags yet," she asked and then considered something for a moment before continuing, "Does she have bags? Or does she just do the shape shifty thing for clothes on the road?"

"Bags," Toad confirmed with obvious distaste, "She could fake the clothes and all, but her hide's not insulated against the weather."

Rebecca nodded and then asked, "So... what'd you think of Pyro's session yesterday? I didn't really get a chance to ask you guys before you disappeared."

"Magneto was pleased," Toad replied.

"That's good," Rebecca said matter-of-factly, folding her arms over her chest.

Toad scrutinized the firestarter for a moment before asking a question of his own.

"Can you do what he did?" he queried.

"What?" Rebecca asked, "You mean with the concrete?"

Toad nodded, and Rebecca shrugged.

"I have before," she admitted, "Guess I still could. I mean, after the Sentinel, it's _obvious_ that I could but... it's not like I usually have a reason to go around and explode brick walls."

"What about th'other things?" Toad prodded, "Like autos and all. Ever need to use it on things like that before?"

Rebecca glanced at her feet, hesitating to a give Toad an answer, but quickly smirked.

"Oh, sure," she said with forced humor, "Cars are easy. Little heat on the gas tank and boom. But, again, not something I usually make part of my day. Unless Sid's being especially annoying..."

Toad grinned slightly, more at the idea of Sid's woes than at Rebecca's wit. He shifted his eyes back toward the driveway, in the direction that Mary and Gambit drove away. Rebecca followed his gaze and then looked back at him again.

"Well, anyway," Rebecca said with a sigh, "Overall, the unexpected visits worked out, huh? No Sentinels... no gunfire... no physical conflict... at least among the guests. And a big Troll-back slash-Disco bonus. Not too shabby. Even Gambit and Mystique managed to drop that little tiff they had earlier..."

"Yeah..." Toad said, "...but Gambit's not normal..."

"Well...yeah," Rebecca replied quickly with a grin.

Toad scowled again and shook his head, "No. I mean he's not normal for an X-Man..."

"Guess that's true," Rebecca agreed, "Have any luck with your list?"

"Some..." Toad replied but did not elaborate.

"That's good," she repeated her previous sentiment, leaving the conversation awkwardly open-ended.

Rebecca shifted from foot to foot for a minute, and then sighed audibly and offered her guest one more friendly grin.

"Well..." she said, "I'm gonna head up and see if breakfast is ready yet..."

She leapt up the front steps and moved past Toad into the house. The green mutant continued to crouch near the door and stare down the driveway. Magneto's list and the information he had gatheredwere not the only things on his mind at the moment...

* * *

"Start spreading the news..." Remy sang, "I'm leaving today..." 

He frowned and continued, "Um... something... something... New York, New York!"

Mary grinned and shook her head, "Aren't you tired of singing that yet? I mean, it was funny on the way in but..."

"I keep telling everyone that I _do_ take requests..." Remy reminded her chidingly, "But mostly people request _broadcast entertainment_..."

With a quick motion of his hand, Remy clicked on the radio and the comforting sound of prefabricated, studio-constructed melodies filled the car. He frowned as they approached one of the bridges and noticed the signs for upcoming highways.

"Do you have the directions for the way back?" Remy asked.

"I think so..." Mary said and searched her pockets for a moment before she found the map of the route back to the mansion.

As she passed the notes to Remy, she noticed another small piece of paper flutter to the floor. She frowned and picked it up. It was more crumpled that folded, as if it had been shoved into her pocket as an afterthought. She flattened it against her leg and regarded it curiously.

"What is this?" she asked aloud.

Remy glanced away from traffic for a moment and shrugged, "Nothing of mine, _chere_."

The note had been hastily written but it was definitely not her handwriting.

It read, 11-B, 109 S. Ascher St, NY.

_An address?_ Mary thought, _I wonder where this came from. Maybe somebody stuck the note into my jacket by mistake..._

"Maybe I'll show it to the Professor..." Mary finally said aloud, "When we get back..."

_...Maybe there is something there he needs to see..._


	29. Chpt 28: DepartureArrival

Chapter Twenty-Eight:

With midday passing into evening, Sebastian Malloy strolled through his home, taking care not to step in the last few patches of sunlight streaming through the shuttered windows.

The entire day had been quiet, now that most of their guests had departed and that the twins had things to do in the city today (Rebecca at the university and Sid at some business meeting). It had been the first time Sebastian had been able to get a full day sleep since the odd assortment of mutants and such showed up two days ago. He supposed he should be accustomed to the madness that seemed to stalk his family, but moments of peace were not to be taken for granted.

Sebastian headed toward the kitchen for a bite to eat, walking through the main living area and humming audibly to himself. He did not speak to the individual seated on one of the cushioned sofas. He simply smirked and shook his head as he entered the kitchen.

The refrigerator hissed as he opened it and searched for a snack. His humming faded into whistling as he considered the individual out in the living room with amusement. A silver thermos filled with his beverage of choice was sitting near the back, and Sebastian rooted past the milk and juice to retrieve it. He was still whistling as he nudged the icebox door closed with his hip and then wandered back into the living room.

Sebastian grinned broadly at the waiting guest and sat down on the opposing sofa. He regarded the person pleasantly for a moment, and unscrewed the cap of his thermos as he began to speak.

"Didn't think you would still be here..." Sebastian remarked and took a swig of a thick, red liquid before continuing, "Won't Erik be missing you by now?"

"No way, dude," the figure, which looked and sounded just like St. John Allerdyce, said coyly, "Mags couldn't wait to get me off the island..."

"Mags?" Sebastian repeated with a pained grimace, "Do they really call him that?"

St. John smirked, "Oh, yeah, man. All the cool mutants do."

Sebastian winced again and shook his head, "You don't pull off teenager as well as you used to, Raven."

The figure dressed as Pyro tilted her head slightly with amusement at the vampire's criticism.

"Fools most people," she replied with a shrug, "Unfortunately, my gift cannon emulate every aspect of my chosen form."

Mystique shifted back to her natural feminine guise, maintaining the illusion of clothing out of courtesy. Her blue skin molded around her body until she appeared to be wearing a long white dress.

"No matter what you look like," Sebastian said with a wry grin, "You'll always smell like you to me."

"That's flattering," Mystique replied with a laugh, "Glad to see you haven't lost all of your charm."

Sebastian shrugged indifferently and took another long drink from the thermos. He had known Mystique long enough to handle her peculiar games. The aloofness she held toward most others did not faze him. He had known her before Magneto had given her a name other than Raven.

"Who do you think Sid learned it from?" Sebastian remarked and leaned back to glance at a nearby clock, "His meetings usually run late. I thank Wall Street quite often for these extended reprieves."

"What exactly does he do?" Mystique asked curiously.

"Hell if I know," Sebastian admitted, "Something about computers. Nothing illegal I hope...or I'll have to kick his ass..."

Mystique offered him a genuine laugh and replied, "Now you sound like your brother..."

Sebastian glanced uncomfortably at Mystique and sighed. He spun the thermos in his hands and stared down at the silver casing thoughtfully. Any conversation involving mention of his brother always made him uneasy. Fortunately, the blue shape shifter was one of the few people in the world who knew why, so she courteously changed the topic.

"We are leaving tonight," Mystique said, stealing Sebastian's attention away from his drink, "Erik is quite happy with Pyro's progress and hopes he may stay with you a while longer..."

Sebastian shrugged and then raised an eyebrow, "How long will this while be?"

"Not too long, I imagine," Mystique said with a furtive smile, "I'm sure Erik will contact you when the time to collect our young pyretic has come. For now... I think he's a bit preoccupied..."

Mystique let the statement linger openly between them, always hinting at something more but still playing the game she was so good at. Though she did not expect Sebastian to react with suspicion. The vampire would first need to care about the Brotherhood's motivations in order to have a reason to be suspicious. Since Mystique's coy allusions were not directly about his kin, he had no reason to care.

"Terrific, I just love being at Mags's beck and call," Sebastian replied with mock enthusiasm and got to his feet, "I'm leaving. Please don't be here when I get back."

Mystique nodded and continued to smile, "We won't be... Good bye, Sebastian."

The vampire waved one hand over his shoulder and called back as he walked away.

"Don't let the door hit you on the way out, Raven."

He slammed out the front door, and in the echoing silence, all that could be heard was Mystique's amused laughter.

* * *

And the shape shifter was true to her word.

A few hours later, Mystique and Toad were standing at the edge of a long dock which extended out into the Atlantic Ocean. They had not been waiting long when a modest sized boat pulled up beside them. The ship was constructed of a dark, buoyant metal, which was nearly invisible in the darkness.

Toad leapt across the dock and began to secure the boat with heavy rope as it settled into port. He was not as familiar with this vehicle as he was with most of the others in the Brotherhood's arsenal. Mostly because it did not require much maintenance; it did not even have an engine. It means of propulsion were strictly through the powers of one man.

There was a dull thud as short metallic plank fell heavily onto the wooden dock. Magneto stepped off the ship and paced quickly toward his followers. He adjusted his cape over his forearm and smiled at them from under his protective helmet. No need to give Charles any hints that he had joined his Brothers on the mainland.

He did not exchange greetings with either Mystique or Toad. Magneto had come to the city for one specific reason and had no time for pleasantries.

"So...tell me," Magneto said to both of them, "What have you learned?"

Toad glanced apprehensively at Mystique and hesitated to answer. The blue mutant simply folded her arms over her chest and looked on innocently. Magneto nodded once to Toad reassuringly and waited for him to speak.

"One positive ID," Toad said, digging the paperwork from his pockets and handing it to his leader, "For Pietro Maximoff. There's a picture of him there from some newspaper. Address and some other things too. Plus a few surveillance photos from th'other night..."

"Surveillance?" Magneto said with enough approval to make Toad grin happily, "Excellent work."

"We gonna be interceptin' this one?" Toad asked, ready to continue on at his leader's word, but Magneto shook his head.

"No..." the older mutant said slowly, "No... I think I will handle this matter myself..."

"But, what if he's dangerous?" Toad asked quickly.

Mystique rolled her eyes at the green mutant's unnecessary concern. Toad was loyal to a fault, in her opinion, but Magneto had built that loyalty by making his approval the odd-looking mutant's most powerful reward.

"His gifts pose no threat to me," Magneto reassured Toad, "He uses them too infrequently..."

Toad nodded and Magneto turned toward Mystique. He narrowed his eyes but still maintained a knowing grin.

"And... how was the witch?" he asked.

"Informative," Mystique replied simply. She would not give up her findings as easily as Toad.

"Indeed," Magneto replied and then gestured toward the ship, "Come. We must rendez-vous with the Lady Deathstrike. She is waiting near the Chesapeake and may have something of interest to report as well..."

The Brotherhood followed Magneto into the metallic craft and the plank folded up to seal the doorway. The water bound vessel moved silently out into the Atlantic Ocean and then turned south.


	30. Epilogue

Epilogue

Professor Xavier stared at the television screen as the disco music filled the air.

Mary glanced at him nervously as the recorded evidence of their trip was played for the ensemble. She was more than a little relieved that she had escaped a cameo in Oz's video but Gambit's ordeal pretty much made him the star.

The Cajun was leaning back in his chair and beaming proudly at his 'performance.' Scott, Ororo and Kurt stood nearby, gaping quietly at what they were watching on the tape. Dr. McCoy was regarding the creatures on the video with intense curiosity, while Bobby and Rogue were roaring in hysterics.

"They...they..." Rogue struggled through her laughter, "They...wanted... They wanted your..."

"Shoes...fascinating," Henry finished for her, his tone utterly professional, sending Rogue and Bobby into a renewed peal of giggles.

"Indeed," Xavier replied respectfully, but could not keep a smile from his own face, "I'm pleased the investigation into your vision turned out so... well. Do you agree, Mary?"

Mary nodded, "I guess. But...next time I get a vision with a soundtrack, I'm gonna request some reinforcements..."

* * *

End

* * *

Author's note: Holy crap I think I'm finally done this one. Ready to move on to the next, which will be all about Deathstrike, Wolverine and Sabertooth so stay tuned!

Thank you thank you thank you to all my reviewers! I know this book was really crossover heavy so here's a little run down of the people we've met...

Mary Sloane – Character from the movie 'The Prophecy' with a little 'Dogma' thrown in. She was the little possessed girl, now all grown up and living at Xavier's school because she's having dangerous visions of the future.

Sebastian Malloy and Rebecca and Sid Malloy – My own little family of original characters who are going to have to most f-ed up past I can think up. Follow Firestarter fic for more info!

Nancy Downs – From the movie 'The Craft'. X-over witch who I've tied to the Scarlet Witch... you all know where this drama's going.

Harmony Kendall – From BTVS. Ditsy, blonde cheerleader turned vampire. I just love her character, esp. later on in the Angel series. Figured she was a good contrast to Nancy the witch.

Oz – Again from BTVS. Musician. Werewolf. Philosopher. Gotta luv Oz.

New Canon characters –

Okay I don't know that much about the X-Men comic so just figure that Avalanche is the same from the Evo cartoon.

I've also intro'ed Pietro and Wanda Maximoff, but if you figure Magneto in the movies must be at least in his sixties, the Maximoff twins are probably in their mid-thirties. More about them soon :)

Trolls – From the 10th Kingdom. Let's give the Trolls a big round of applause. They've been very patient during my periods of slackage. Magic Troll Disco Ball... word.

Coming soon:

X-Book 7 – One Day. _Their mutations made them predators, experiments made them dangerous, but it will be their choices that define who they are. Wolverine, Deathstrike, Sabertooth... one day in the life..._


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